Lisandro Martinez Takes Aim at Man Utd Hierarchy After Defeat to Atletico Madrid

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has criticised the club's hierarchy for not adding enough to the squad, after a 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid on Tuesday left United without a win in five games.

Martinez, who has one year left on his contract and has yet to agree an extension, said the club should have done more after qualifying for the Champions League. He pointed the finger at technical director Jason Wilcox. "I expect more [investment]. 100%. I expect more from our technical director," he told Amazon Prime.

He did not leave the players out of it. "I have to be honest, as players we have to do more but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night," he said. He also gave a view on the coach and the board. "Tonight it is easy to [blame] the coach, easy to say the players but also we have to see other areas."

Martinez also hit out at the club's habit of changing managers. "You can't keep changing, changing, changing the manager," he said. "What about other areas? I can't say more." He added: "Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team."

United's last win came against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK on 10 September. Their only other win in nine games this season was a comeback against newly promoted Ipswich at Old Trafford. 

The Red Devils finished third in the Premier League last term, which brought them back into the Champions League for the first time in three years. Michael Carrick won 12 of his 17 games in interim charge after Ruben Amorim was sacked in January, and that earned him a permanent two-year deal as head coach.

Many people outside the club share Martinez's view, and some inside Old Trafford do too. The lack of extra cover for striker Benjamin Sesko and no real competition for Luke Shaw at left-back have both been pointed out, in a summer when United spent £155m on three midfielders and nobody else. 

Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe sat next to chief executive Omar Berrada at the Metropolitano. United have sacked managers in the last two seasons after backing them in the summer, with Erik ten Hag let go in October 2024 and Amorim in January 2026.

Not everyone liked what Martinez said. Former United captain Wayne Rooney, who was in Madrid for the game, thought it went too far. 

"Something like that will rip that dressing room apart," he said. Rooney recalled his own public criticism of the club in 2010, which brought a fierce response from Sir Alex Ferguson, and said it was a mistake he later apologised for. "It is disrespectful to his team-mates," he said. "He is saying his team-mates aren't good enough."

He added: "Bruno [Fernandes] is the only one with any right to say that. Behind closed doors, it happens - but that interview isn't going to help... [Martinez] has tried to speak on behalf of the players but done it the wrong way. It looks like a player trying to look after himself. It was very premeditated. It is sad because you need everyone to stick together, you need to be as one."

Ashley Young, also in Madrid, felt Martinez should have kept quiet. "We know recruitment has to work and be better but players have to be better," he said. "They are the ones who have to produce. There's going to be no change now. That could create [issues] all week after what was a good performance."

Midfielder Tielemans, who joined from Aston Villa for £35m in July, spoke to the broadcaster but chose not to answer the question about Martinez's comments. Commentating on the game, former England striker Alan Shearer said before Martinez spoke that he felt Carrick had been let down.

Former England keeper Paul Robinson had mixed feelings on BBC Radio 5 Live. "I question his timing because with the noise around Manchester United at the moment, positivity needs to come out of the dressing room," he said. 

"But on the flip side, I actually quite like it - a player being honest." He went on: "Manchester United fans don't need their players coming out saying 'we're doing OK, the squad's strong enough'. Everyone can see they didn't recruit well enough and they need more players and the squad's not strong enough."

Martinez's comments are similar to ones made last season by his Argentina defensive partner Cristian Romero against the Tottenham board. Romero, who has since moved to Atletico, played against United on Tuesday.