Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. Photo: Getty Images
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has declined to comment in detail on Lisandro Martinez’s criticism of the club’s leadership following their defeat to Atletico Madrid, saying he needs to establish the facts before deciding on his response.
Martinez had on Tuesday used a post-match interview with Amazon Prime to criticise United director of football Jason Wilcox over what he considered inadequate investment in the squad during the summer transfer window.
The defender argued that Carrick should not be blamed for the club’s disappointing start to the season, insisting that the manager had not received the support he deserved from the club’s hierarchy.
United have won just two of their nine matches in all competitions this season, raising concerns about their performances and recruitment strategy.
Wilcox and Chief Executive Officer Omar Berrada spent £155m on first-team reinforcements during the summer, bringing in goalkeeper Karl Darlow and midfielders Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba and Youri Tielemans.
However, Martinez believes the recruitment was insufficient to build on the team’s achievements last season and called for greater scrutiny of those responsible for the club’s football strategy.
Speaking in a post-interview on Tuesday, when asked whether he would speak to Martinez about the interview, Carrick said, “I need to find out a bit more about it before I can say if and what is going to be done. I really can’t comment any further because I haven’t seen it.”
The United manager was also asked whether he agreed with Martinez’s assessment that the club had failed to provide him with adequate backing in the transfer market.
Carrick declined to take a position, explaining that he had not watched the interview, while suggesting that the defender’s comments might have been influenced by the disappointment of the result.
“I haven’t seen the interview; I’ve heard about it as the interview was done, but I think it’s a little bit on the emotions of the game as well,” he said.
“Coming here and being disappointed not to get something from the game. Straight after a game for me isn’t the time to talk about that interview because I haven’t seen it, so I can’t really comment on that.
“But I think it’s important for us to move forward quickly, really. There is a big game on Sunday, and it’s really important that we move forward and we stay focused on that. There’s disappointment within the group. I’m very disappointed in certain things, and the boys are as well.”
Despite United’s struggles, Carrick maintained that the players remained committed to the team and were determined to improve their results.
He acknowledged the frustration surrounding the club’s form but said he had no concerns about the squad’s unity or willingness to compete.
Carrick said his players were “hurting” because of the difficult start to the campaign, while praising their effort and commitment.
“I don’t doubt the togetherness or the wanting to win or the willingness to do things to win. I really don’t doubt that,” he said.
“I know results-wise, it’s easy to look and think there’s something kind of deeply wrong because we haven’t won enough games, so I understand that.”