Martinez criticises Manchester United board after Atletico defeat
Lisandro Martinez criticised Manchester United's hierarchy for failing to strengthen the squad after they qualified for the Champions League, following Tuesday's 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid in the competition.
United have now gone five games without a win, their most recent victory coming against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK on 10 September, with their only other win in nine matches this season the come-from-behind success over newly promoted Ipswich at Old Trafford. The Red Devils finished third in the Premier League last term to secure a return to the Champions League after a three-year absence. Michael Carrick won 12 of his 17 games in interim charge following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim in January, a run that led to Carrick being awarded a permanent two-year contract.
Speaking to Amazon Prime, Martinez launched his attack on recruitment and the club hierarchy, saying: "We did a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top, more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well." He added: "Atletico have an amazing team and they deserved to win today." Martinez went on to state: "I expect more [investment]. 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]." He also said: "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." Martinez has one year left on his United contract and has yet to agree an extension.
The summer transfer window has been singled out in media and fan debate, with the club spending £155m on three midfielders while failing, critics say, to sign striking support for Benjamin Sesko or to recruit a competitor at left-back for Luke Shaw. Tielemans, who was signed from Aston Villa for £35m in July, was asked about Martinez's comments by the host broadcaster but opted not to respond. Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was seated next to chief executive Omar Berrada in the Metropolitano Stadium during the game.
Former United players at the match, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young, criticised Martinez's public remarks on Amazon Prime, arguing they risked damaging dressing-room unity. Rooney said: "Something like that will rip that dressing room apart," and added: "It is disrespectful to his team-mates." He continued: "He is saying his team-mates aren't good enough. "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..." Young commented: "We know recruitment has to work and be better but players have to be better," and added: "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." Former England keeper Paul Robinson said 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," while adding: "But on the flip side, I actually quite like it - a player being honest. "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." Former England striker Alan Shearer said he felt Carrick had been let down.
The club's recent off-field decisions and financial position have been referenced in the debate. United sacked Erik ten Hag in October 2024 and Ruben Amorim in January 2026 after backing summer appointments; Dan Ashworth was dismissed in December 2024, five months after his appointment as sporting director. In the latest set of accounts the club's overall debt stood at £1.1bn, and United spent £63.5m on land for a proposed 100,000-capacity stadium that is set to cost in excess of £2bn, decisions that some fans have criticised alongside ticket-price increases and a ticket-touting investigation among season-ticket holders.
United conceded inside the first minute against Atletico, a detail commentators said did not reflect well on Carrick, and the club have now gone five games without a win for the first time since 2024-25 when that run occurred under both Ten Hag and Amorim. Carrick addressed Martinez's remarks after the match, saying: "I haven't seen the interview," and: "I've half heard about it. It's a bit about the emotions of the game. "Straight after the game is not the time to talk about that interview and I can't really comment on that. It's important for us to move forward quickly. "As group, I don't doubt the togetherness and us wanting to win. I know results-wise, it's easy to look and think there's something deeply wrong, but the players have been great in their willing." Asked whether he would speak to Martinez, Carrick said: "I need to find out a bit more about it before I can say if and what is going to be done."
Carrick remains under intense pressure and Martinez's public criticism has intensified scrutiny on technical director Jason Wilcox and senior figures including Jim Ratcliffe and Omar Berrada, while questions persist over recruitment and how the club's financial decisions relate to squad strengthening.
