Why Martinez highlighted Manchester United’s woes in Madrid meltdown

Manchester United’s season plunged to a new low on Tuesday.

A third-place finish last season after a late charge under manager Michael Carrick gave Manchester United fans reasons to dream of a bright 2026-27 campaign.

But just two months in, hopes of a title charge or a top-four finish seem out of reach, with United registering their worst start to a football season in 40 years.

Their latest defeat – a 2-0 reverse at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League – is the third in five winless matches, and promoted centre-back Lisandro Martinez to blast the club’s board for a lack of support for the squad.

So where did it all go wrong for Man United? Al Jazeera explains:

A shambolic start to the Premier League season

When United lost to newly-promoted Hull City on the opening day of the top-flight season, the humiliating result gave supporters a glimpse of the disaster that would follow.

Of their nine matches across all competitions to date, United have won just two: August’s come-from-behind victory at home over Ipswich Town in the league, and the Champions League thrashing of Azerbaijani club Sabah last month.

A controversial Manchester derby defeat to Man City left a bitter taste, but the team had no excuses when they suffered a third-round League Cup exit to fellow league side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Then came identical 1-1 draws with Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, two teams that are in the relegation zone.

The issues in United’s squad spread across departments, with the team failing to show any real urgency.

Sitting in 12th place, United’s points tally of six is their lowest total after six games since 1986.

Under-fire Carrick has plenty to ponder in latest Man Utd mess

United avoided a crisis at Craven Cottage in their last league game before the extended international break with a draw, needing a late equaliser to avoid a third consecutive defeat.

That dispiriting performance drew harsh words from pundits and ex-players, including Gary Neville, who particularly criticised the team’s second-half effort, calling it “absolutely pathetic”.

United boss Carrick, though, struck a defiant tone, trying his best to silence the noise surrounding one of the biggest clubs in world football.

“It’s not been ideal. It was always going to come at some point, and it’s come at the start of the season,” Carrick said.

The doom and gloom continued when United blew a late lead against 10-man Tottenham to draw 1-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Carrick’s men were booed off at half-time and at the end of the match after a Tottenham side that began the day bottom of the table dominated for large spells.

“Obviously, it hurts, you know, it hurts a lot,” said Carrick, addressing the boos.

“It’s not nice to go through, but sometimes you have to go through it. That’s how it is, you know. It’s coming from a good place, really, and so I understand it.”

The 45-year-old former United midfielder was expected to build on last season’s optimism during his spell as interim boss. But having hauled United from the wreckage of Ruben Amorim’s reign, Carrick is in danger of losing his way in his first season as permanent boss.

Did Man United’s board fall short in their summer signings?

In the summer transfer window, United brought in three talented midfielders: Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos, and Youri Tielemans, as well as a backup goalkeeper, Karl Darlow. That cost them 155 million British pounds ($204m) and raised the question: should United have spent more?

The club’s decision not to buy an established left-back and a reliable striker left unresolved gaps in the squad, forcing the team to rely on makeshift options.

This was seemingly at the heart of Martinez’s Tuesday tirade in the Spanish capital.

“I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox], 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 these kinds of nights,” the Argentina international defender said.

What woes surround JJ Gabriel at Man United?

Away from the first team, transfer mania made news in the youth setup, but for the wrong reasons.

JJ Gabriel, widely considered one of football’s most exciting youth prospects, said he wants to leave the club and handed in a letter of de-registration. However, British media reported the club has no intention of granting that request and is hopeful a resolution can be found.

Recipient of the Premier League under-18 player of the year award last term, the promising winger has since drawn the interest of Europe’s top clubs such as Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Off the pitch, Man United’s financial losses mount

Last month, United reported that their annual net loss increased by almost one third to 43 million pounds ($57m) despite record-breaking revenues.

The Old Trafford club reported 677.6 million pounds ($890.7m) in revenue in the year to June 30, up 1.7 percent.

However, the club announced a seventh straight annual loss after taxes as co-owner Jim Ratcliffe’s cuts to operating costs offset contractual payments to sacked manager Amorim and a big increase in loan repayments.

The club’s debt remains over one billion pounds ($1.3bn) despite record revenues that are unable to prevent losses at the UK football side.

British billionaire Ratcliffe has overseen wide-ranging, and often unpopular, cost-cutting measures, including widespread job cuts and increased ticket prices, after completing a deal to buy a minority stake in the club in February 2024.

Ratcliffe’s fallout with Man United’s fans

Away from football, Ratcliffe has also sparked controversy with his latest comments about immigration, which prompted Manchester United’s Muslim Supporters’ Club (MUMSC) to call for his resignation.

In February, the 73-year-old Ratcliffe said the United Kingdom had been “colonised by immigrants” and later apologised if he offended anyone. He doubled down on those comments in a BBC interview, saying the country “is on the slide” because of it.

The MUMSC condemned Ratcliffe’s words earlier in the year and once again spoke out against his latest comments, describing them as “deeply disappointing”.

It wasn’t the first time the United faithful expressed their frustration – before losing to Man City, fans protested against the current ownership with a banner that read “the way you treat us is a disgrace”.