'Lisandro Martínez's words after United's 2-0 defeat to Atlético de Madrid have sparked a full-blown civil war in Manchester.'
His teammate Amand Diallo has described Manchester United's situation as "a fucking disgrace", analysts define it as "a sinking ship" and legends such as Wayne Rooney, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Young or Paul Robinson lashed out at the Argentine defender.
'Amad Diallo: "It's a fucking disgrace, I have no words"'
Amad Diallo, Lisandro Martínez's teammate at Manchester United, posted a forceful reaction on Snapchat after the defeat against Atlético de Madrid.
'The footballer described Manchester United's current situation as a "fucking disgrace, I have no words".'
Rooney calls for Lisandro to be punished for his criticism of Manchester United: "He had an ulterior motive"
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United legend, has harshly criticized Lisandro Martínez's angry reaction.'
The legendary striker accused the Argentine defender of having a "hidden agenda" during his post-match interview, in which Lisandro Martínez lashed out at the "Red Devils" board and manager Jason Wilcox.
I think what Lisandro Martínez did was very premeditated. Why does he give the interview right after this match? Did he offer himself up?
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney believes Lisandro Martínez has risked creating more chaos in the Manchester United dressing room and disrupting harmony with his teammates.
"It's a complicated situation, because I was always someone who expressed what I thought when I was a player, and it's natural to want to give your opinion, but I think perhaps he has gone too far. That's something that falls to the coach and should be kept internal; the fans want to hear the players and see that they really care about the team," commented the 40-year-old former footballer on "Amazon Prime".
To be honest, I don't think Lisandro Martínez has really managed to connect with the fans since he arrived, as he has suffered many injuries
Wayne Rooney
Rooney stressed that "it’s clear that Lisandro Martínez cares and wants the club to invest more money and sign more players; although, to be honest, if that happens, I think he could be one of the first to leave because of his own performances. His level of play has not been good enough, but I think he is right in a way: the club needs to invest more both in attack and in defense".
The board has to analyze this issue with Lisandro and will probably have to take measures regarding it, because it is a lack of respect towards the whole club
Wayne Rooney
"I think what Lisandro Martínez did was very premeditated. Why does he give the interview right after this match? Did he offer himself up? I rarely hear him speak. It seemed like something planned, something he had discussed with his team before making it public. It's sad, because when you need all the players to remain united, you can't go around airing what is happening in the boardroom. It seems to me that Lisandro had a hidden intention, because that doesn't match the performance. I think the performance was better... I also think it's somewhat disrespectful to his teammates, since he disrespects them by implying that they are not good enough," he pointed out.
Wayne Rooney insisted that "the board has to look at this and probably needs to take action on it, because it is a lack of respect toward the whole club. Yes, there are problems; everyone wants more players and better players, but these are the ones you have. As a player, you have to move on. You have to go out there and show why you are world champions."
"To be honest, I don't think Lisandro Martínez has really managed to connect with the fans since he arrived, as he has suffered many injuries. The truth is that I like him, I think he's a good player, but he has been injured; so, considering what Manchester United paid for him, he has not performed as expected. That said, I don't mean any disrespect; I simply think he has had a lot of injuries and hasn't played that much," he commented.
Jamie Carragher: "I think it's terrible that Lisandro Martínez came out and said that"
'Jamie Carragher, Liverpool legend and renowned television commentator, also spoke out about Lisandro Martínez's words against the Manchester United board.'
'When Lisandro says that "we had a fantastic season" last campaign... that was not the case; in fact, they sacked the manager. They finished third'
Jamie Carragher
"They don't benefit anyone at all; now they will be the center of attention for the next few days because of this. No fanbase likes the executives or the bosses at the top, so United supporters will gladly swallow it and think it's great," he said on "CBS Sports".
Lisandro Martínez has had a dreadful start to the season; dreadful, really bad
Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher underlined that "I think it's terrible that Lisandro Martínez came out and said that. When he says that "we had a fantastic season" last season... that was not the case; in fact, they sacked the manager. They finished third because they did not play cup matches or European competitions, since they were knocked out of the cup tournaments very early".
"The reason they didn't sign players in the summer is that, in the four or five years he's been there, I think they've only qualified for the Champions League once. So, if every season you miss out on the Champions League revenue while Manchester United spends more than 200 million euros in the transfer market, sooner or later that has to stop, because the money isn't there. That's why the money Manchester United is shelling out this summer relates to players bought years ago; hence there are no funds available, because this can't go on indefinitely. It's a squad that has been through different managers and has performed terribly; tonight they played terribly again," he pointed out.
Carragher highlighted that "Lisandro Martínez has had a terrible start to the season; terrible, really bad".
"Last season, Ruben Amorim lashed out at his superiors, and I immediately said they should fire him, and not just because of those comments. I thought: "You're lucky to keep your job; you can't start criticizing those above you." I believe a football club is a family and that many things happen within it: there are arguments, there are unhappy people... I can understand that he is not satisfied with the squad—or that Michael Carrick is not either—but the club as a whole must be taken into account," reflected the idol of the "reds".
'Ashley Young also criticizes Lisandro Martínez: "Players must take responsibility"'
'Ashley Young, another legendary former Manchester United player, echoed Wayne Rooney's words against Lisandro Martínez and confirmed that the Argentine's comments would complicate manager Carrick's situation in the coming days.'
'"Of course, it’s something the players talk about. Before the match we were saying that the club needed to invest more, but... they have invested in midfield, so what is it that he wants? For them to buy a completely new team? They’re not going to do that. They need to strengthen other positions. They could have signed players for the attack or the defense, but they didn’t. The match has just ended and emotions are running high; we understand that. But we know that signings have to work out and improve things; the club has to take its time to do it right," the former footballer commented.'
'Ashley Young believes that "the players need to take responsibility: "we are the ones who make up this team and this squad, and we are the ones who go out onto the pitch". They are the ones who have to perform and show what they are capable of. There will be no changes until January".'
'Paul Robinson: "I question the timing chosen by Lisandro Martínez"'
'Paul Robinson, former England goalkeeper, spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live about Lisandro Martínez's controversial statements: "I question the timing, with all the uproar currently surrounding Manchester United; a positive attitude needs to come out of the dressing room, but it is clear that they have not recruited well, that they need more players and that the squad is not strong enough".'
The Manchester United is a sinking ship
Jason Cundy has described this reaction from Lisandro Martínez as a "sinking ship" mentality, accusing the Manchester United players of selfishness for shifting the blame onto the owners instead of taking responsibility for a disastrous season.
At Sky Sports, they pointed out that players who publicly criticize the board, drawing parallels with Cristiano Ronaldo's case in 2022, usually do not last long at Old Trafford, especially considering that Martínez is currently in the final year of his contract.
Lisandro Martínez's words against Manchester United that have caused so much upset
'After Manchester United's 2-0 defeat against Atlético de Madrid, Argentine Lisandro Martínez pointed the finger at the Old Trafford offices: "You can't keep changing, changing and changing managers. What about other areas? Tonight it's easy to talk about the manager, it's easy to talk about the players, but we also have to look at other aspects".'
Now we expect more from the board, from senior management, to bring in more players to compete, because many teams have also signed many players
Lisandro Martínez
"We played a really poor match. Really poor. I have to control myself a lot, but sometimes it is a reflection of how our club is at this moment. I expect more investment. 100%. I expect more from our manager. I have to be honest, as players we have to do more, but it is also important, when you have a strong team, to be prepared for a night like this," said the Argentine on Amazon Prime.
Lisandro Martínez insisted on the idea that "we had a fantastic season last year and now we expect more from the board, from the top brass, so that they bring in more players to compete, because many teams have also signed many players".