Lisandro Martinez criticises Manchester United board after Atlético loss

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez publicly criticised the club's leadership after the 2-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid, saying the squad needs further investment following the team's return to the Champions League. His comments sparked strong reactions, with club legends Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young warning that such statements risk creating bigger problems inside the dressing room.

Martinez: more reinforcements needed

The loss to Atlético extended United's run to five matches without a win. The team’s most recent victory came on 10 September against Azerbaijani champions Sabah; their only other win in the nine fixtures so far this season was a comeback at Old Trafford against newly promoted Ipswich.

United finished third in the Premier League last season, securing a return to the Champions League for the first time in three years. Michael Carrick took over as caretaker coach after Ruben Amorim was dismissed in January and registered 12 wins from 17 matches.

Speaking to Amazon Prime, Martinez said: "Last season we did a fantastic job and now we expect more from the board. We need more players so we can compete, because many other clubs are bringing reinforcements."

He added: "Atlético have a great team and deserved to win. But I expect more investment. Absolutely. I expect more from our sporting director Jason Wilcox. I must be honest — we as players must give more. However, it's important to build a squad strong enough to be ready for matches like this. Tonight it's easy to blame the coach, it's easy to blame the players, but we must look at other parts of the club," the Argentine defender said.

Early-season results have fallen short of expectations, and Martinez emphasised that responsibility cannot rest solely on the coach and the players. The debate over transfer activity and the club's strategy is likely to intensify as United try to halt their winless run.

Photo: press material from the event