Lisandro Martinez Slams Man United Hierarchy Over Squad Investment After Atletico Defeat

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has criticised the club’s hierarchy over what he considers inadequate investment in the squad, insisting that more signings are needed for the team to compete at the highest level.

Martinez made the comments after United suffered a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, extending their winless run to five matches across all competitions.

The Argentine defender said the club’s management must accept responsibility for the team’s struggles rather than allowing criticism to focus solely on head coach Michael Carrick and the players.

Speaking to Amazon Prime, Martinez said United had enjoyed a strong campaign last season but needed further reinforcements to remain competitive.

“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 said.

“I expect more. 100 per cent. I expect more from our technical director, Jason Wilcox.”

Martinez acknowledged that the players also needed to improve but argued that building a strong squad was essential for competing in demanding matches.

“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.

“Tonight it is easy to blame the coach, easy to blame the players, but also we have to see other areas.”

United finished third in the Premier League last season to secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in three years.

The club reportedly spent about £155 million on three midfielders during the transfer window but did not significantly strengthen other areas of the squad.

Martinez also questioned United’s tendency to change managers, suggesting that the club should examine the performance of other departments before placing responsibility for poor results on the coach.

“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more,” he said.

“Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team.”

His remarks attracted criticism from former United captain Wayne Rooney, who warned that publicly questioning the squad’s quality could undermine unity among the players.

Speaking during Amazon Prime’s coverage, Rooney said Martinez’s comments risked creating divisions within the dressing room.

“Something like that will rip that dressing room apart,” Rooney said.

The former England international also described the remarks as disrespectful to Martinez’s teammates, arguing that they could be interpreted as suggesting the players were not good enough.

Meanwhile, Carrick said he had not watched the full interview when asked about the defender’s comments after the defeat. The United manager declined to offer a detailed response, saying his immediate priority was to move the team forward.

The result has intensified scrutiny of United’s recruitment strategy and the leadership of technical director Jason Wilcox, chief executive Omar Berrada and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

United’s reported five-game winless run has added to concerns over the team’s form and squad depth.

Martinez, who joined United from Ajax in 2022, has one year remaining on his contract and has yet to agree an extension.