Really Poor” — Martinez Slams Man United Board After Atletico Defeat

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has criticised the club’s hierarchy over what he considers insufficient investment in the squad following their 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

According to reports monitored by Ireporter Online, the defeat extended United’s winless run to five matches, intensifying pressure on head coach Michael Carrick and raising fresh concerns about the club’s recruitment strategy.

United secured third place in the Premier League last season, earning a return to the UEFA Champions League after a three-year absence. However, Martinez believes the club’s leadership should have done more to strengthen the squad to ensure the team could compete effectively against Europe’s top sides.

Speaking after the defeat, the Argentine defender expressed disappointment with the level of investment and called on technical director Jason Wilcox to do more.

“I expect more [investment]. 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox],” Martinez said during an interview with Amazon Prime.

Although he acknowledged that the players needed to improve their performances, the defender argued that responsibility for the club’s struggles should not rest solely on the manager and the players.

“Tonight it is easy to [blame] the coach, easy to say the players but also we have to see other areas,” he said.

“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more.”

Manchester United reportedly spent £155 million on three midfielders during the summer transfer window but did not recruit additional striking support for Benjamin Sesko or a left-back to provide competition for Luke Shaw.

Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and chief executive Omar Berrada were present at the Metropolitano Stadium to witness the defeat, which added to the scrutiny facing the club’s leadership.

However, former United captain Wayne Rooney criticised Martinez for airing his frustrations publicly, warning that such comments could undermine unity within the dressing room.

“Something like that will rip that dressing room apart,” Rooney said.

Rooney suggested that although Martinez might have intended to speak on behalf of his teammates, he had handled the situation poorly by directing his concerns towards the club’s leadership in public.

The incident has added another layer of tension at Manchester United, with questions surrounding recruitment, managerial pressure and team unity continuing to dominate discussions following the defeat to Atletico Madrid.