Following Manchester United's defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Lisandro Martínez launched a scathing attack on the club's hierarchy. He bluntly stated that the team currently lacks the competitiveness required at the Champions League level. When questioned regarding the transfer market, he expressed a desire to see greater investment from the club. Several pundits reacted in the aftermath to Martínez's remarks.
Former Manchester United stars Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young were both in Madrid covering the match. Discussing Martínez's comments on Amazon Prime, both pundits argued that the defender had crossed the line, warning that the internal damage within the dressing room could prove severe.
Rooney remarked: “Something like that will divide that dressing room.”
Rooney recalled publicly criticizing the club back in 2010, which drew a fierce response from manager Sir Alex Ferguson at the time. Rooney acknowledged that was a mistake, for which he has since apologized.
He stated: “It's disrespectful to his teammates. He is basically saying his teammates are not good enough. Bruno Fernandes is the only one who has the right to say something like that. Behind closed doors, these things happen, but that interview won't help the team at all.”
“Martínez is trying to speak on behalf of the players, but he did it the wrong way. It looks like a player looking out for himself; it felt very premeditated. It's sad because you need everyone pulling in the same direction, you need to be united.”
While commentating on the match prior to Martínez's comments, former England striker Alan Shearer noted that he felt Michael Carrick had been let down.
Meanwhile, Ashley Young believed Martínez should have kept his counsel, stating: “We know recruitment has to work and has to be better, but the players have to be better—they are the ones who have to go out and perform.”
“Nothing is going to change right now. After what was a decent showing in the game, this risks causing problems all week.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said he could understand Martínez's point of view: “I question his timing because, with all the noise surrounding Manchester United right now, positivity needs to emanate from the dressing room.”
"On the other hand, though, I actually quite like a player being honest. Manchester United supporters don't need their players coming out and saying 'we're doing okay, the squad is strong enough.' Everyone can see the recruitment hasn't been good enough, that they need more players, and that the squad is simply not strong enough."
