Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has launched a blistering attack on the club’s hierarchy for failing to strengthen the squad after qualifying for the Champions League.
Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid means United have now gone five games without a win.
Their most recent victory was against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK on 10 September. United’s only other win in nine matches this season came against newly promoted Ipswich at Old Trafford, when they had to come from behind.
The Red Devils finished third in the Premier League last term, sealing a Champions League return for the first time in three years.
They won 12 of Michael Carrick’s 17 games in interim charge following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim in January, which was enough to earn the former United midfielder a permanent two-year contract as head coach.
“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,” Martinez told Amazon Prime.
“Atletico have an amazing team and they deserved to win today.
“I expect more [investment]. 100%. 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 this kind of night.
“Tonight it is easy to [blame] the coach, easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas.”
Martinez’s view has been echoed by many external observers and has also been mentioned by some inside Old Trafford.
The failure to bring in striking support for Benjamin Sesko and competition at left-back for Luke Shaw have both been highlighted in a summer when United spent £155m on three midfielders to the exclusion of any other position.
Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was sitting next to United chief executive Omar Berrada in the Metropolitano Stadium on Tuesday.
They have sacked managers in the past two seasons after backing them the previous summer, with Erik ten Hag dismissed in October 2024, and Amorim shown the door in January 2026.
“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager,” said Martinez. “What about other areas? I can’t say more.
“Last season we did everything; we created the base to create an amazing team.”
Martinez’s comments echo those made by his Argentina defensive partner, Cristian Romero, against the Tottenham board last season.
Ironically, Romero was in Atletico’s side against United after his summer move to Spain.
Martinez, meanwhile, has one year left on his United contract and has yet to agree to an extension.
‘That will rip the dressing room apart’
Former United players Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young were in Madrid for the game.
Discussing Martinez’s comments on Amazon Prime, both said the defender had gone too far and the damage inside the dressing room could be significant.
“Something like that will rip that dressing room apart,” said Rooney.
The former England and United captain recalled his own public criticism of the club in 2010 which drew a fierce response from boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Rooney said it had been a mistake which he had apologised for.
“It is disrespectful to his team-mates,” he said. “He is saying his team-mates aren’t good enough.
“Bruno [Fernandes] is the only one with any right to say that. Behind closed doors, it happens – but that interview isn’t going to help…
“[Martinez] has tried to speak on behalf of the players but done it the wrong way.
“It looks like a player trying to look after himself. It was very premeditated. It is sad because you need everyone to stick together, you need to be as one.”
Tielemans – who United bought from Aston Villa for £35m in July – also spoke to the host broadcaster but opted not to respond to the question.
Commentating on the game, and speaking before Martinez, former England striker Alan Shearer said he felt Carrick had been let down.
Young feels Martinez should have kept his counsel.
“We know recruitment has to work and be better but players have to be better,” he said. “They are the ones who have to produce.
“There’s going to be no change now. That could create [issues] all week after what was a good performance.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former England keeper Paul Robinson said he could understand Martinez’s point.
“I question his timing because with the noise around Manchester United at the moment, positivity needs to come out of the dressing room,” he said.
“But on the flip side, I actually quite like it – a player being honest.
“Manchester United fans don’t need their players coming out saying ‘we’re doing OK, the squad’s strong enough’.
“Everyone can see they didn’t recruit well enough and they need more players and the squad’s not strong enough.”
Does Martinez have a fair point?
Although United were much improved on their tepid display against Tottenham at the weekend, conceding inside the first minute did not reflect well on Carrick.
And they have now gone five games without a win for the first time since 2024-25, when it happened under both Ten Hag and Amorim.
Carrick remains under intense pressure, although Martinez’s words will bring renewed focus on Wilcox.
The former Southampton executive’s appointment as football director is starting to be questioned, as are the decisions taken by Ratcliffe and Berrada since the Glazer family stepped back ,despite remaining majority shareholders.
In addition to sacking Ten Hag and Amorim, they also dismissed highly respected Dan Ashworth in December 2024, just five months after his appointment as sporting director.
Ratcliffe has also been blamed for increasing ticket prices and for launching what the club said was a ticket-touting investigation among season ticket holders, but which fans felt was an attempt to drive them out in favour of ‘tourist’ supporters.
In their latest set of accounts, United’s overall debt stood at £1.1bn, with some fans criticising the decision to spend £63.5m on land for a new 100,000-capacity stadium – which is set to cost in excess of £2bn – rather than use the money to strengthen Carrick’s squad.
United have only qualified for the Champions League in successive seasons twice sinceFerguson retired in 2013.
Amorim told Wilcox to concentrate on his own job in a blistering final news conference as United boss, when he suggested too much attention was paid to external “noise” from the likes of ex-player Gary Neville.
Carrick was initially asked for his response to Martinez’s remarks live on TV, before heading to the post-match news conference, where three reporters questioned him about the comments.
“I haven’t seen the interview,” he said. “I’ve half heard about it. It’s a bit about the game’s emotions.
“Straight after the game is not the time to talk about that interview, and I can’t really comment on that. It’s important for us to move forward quickly.
“As a group, I don’t doubt the togetherness and us wanting to win. I know results-wise, it’s easy to look and think there’s something deeply wrong, but the players have been great in their willingness.”
Asked if he would speak to Martinez about his comments, Carrick said: “I need to find out a bit more about it before I can say if and what is going to be done.”
‘Brave’ or ‘shocking’ – what you thought
Mark: Wow, very brave for Martinez for call out the upper management like that. I’m sure it won’t go down well within Manchester United but I am also sure fans will be happy that someone in the club is finally saying it in public.
Stuart McLean: Martinez is right, refreshing to hear an honest assessment. Rooney and Young being unhappy and ‘should be kept in the boardroom’ are so wrong, we pay their astronomical wages. We should praise the honesty, as we all know the problems.
Ben Dutton: Martinez saying what most of the fans think. The rot starts at the top, and the squad is not up to the task. Rare honesty from a modern player!
Andrew Mitchell: Might be the best thing Lisandro has done in a United shirt. But the ownership are still there against the wishes of nearly every United fan, they continue to run the club the way they want (to its detriment), so there’s no need to think Martinez’s words will move them.
Joel Sparks: Martinez might be correct about the people at the top not doing enough. But their lack of activity is not causing his poor performances. Solanke didn’t get the better of him on Saturday because of a lack of subs. He needs to give his head a wobble.
Dave Barry: It feels shocking to hear Martinez speak so openly. Those are criticisms fans have been chatting about in the pub for years – hearing it from a player’s mouth is staggering.