Lisandro Martinez launches attack on Manchester United hierarchy

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has publicly criticised the club’s technical director in a remarkable statement.

According to journalist Nathan Salt on X, the Argentine international said: “I expect more from our technical director, I have to be honest.”

The comments represent a rare public challenge to a senior figure within United’s football leadership and are likely to raise further questions about the situation behind the scenes at Old Trafford.

Lisandro Martinez questions Manchester United’s backing of Michael Carrick

Martinez’s criticism did not stop there, with the defender also questioning whether Michael Carrick had received sufficient support from the club’s leadership.

He said: “I don’t think so [he was backed]. He did his best.”

The Argentine then delivered a warning about United’s future, adding: “If you don’t change, next season it’s a big problem.”

He continued: “You keep changing managers but what about other areas? It’s easy to say the coach, the players, but also we have to see others, huh?”

The extraordinary comments followed Manchester United’s 2-0 Champions League defeat against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening.

Michael Carrick’s side endured a disastrous start at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, conceding after just 47 seconds when Pablo Barrios opened the scoring.

United subsequently wasted several opportunities to equalise, with Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes among those unable to convert promising chances.

The visitors’ hopes suffered another blow in the 74th minute when Leny Yoro was sent off following a VAR review for denying Jonathan David a goalscoring opportunity.

Ademola Lookman doubled Atletico’s advantage five minutes later, condemning United to another disappointing result.

United invested heavily in their squad during the summer transfer window, bringing in several new faces as they looked to strengthen Michael Carrick’s options.

Among those arrivals was Carlos Baleba, who made his competitive debut from the bench during Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.

The midfielder was subsequently handed his first competitive start against Atletico Madrid, but United’s latest defeat has raised further questions about whether their summer recruitment has sufficiently addressed the squad’s weaknesses.

Martinez played the full 90 minutes, but his post-match comments have now shifted attention away from the performance and towards the club’s decision-makers.

With United already struggling domestically, his remarks suggest that questions about the club’s direction extend beyond the manager and playing squad.