Lisandro Martinez has plunged Manchester United into a fresh crisis, using a post-match interview after Tuesday’s Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid to publicly criticise the club’s hierarchy and, in particular, technical director Jason Wilcox. The 2-0 loss in the Spanish capital extended United’s winless run to five matches, and Martinez decided the moment called for honesty rather than diplomacy.
Speaking to Amazon Prime immediately after the final whistle, the Argentine defender said he expected more from “the top, from upstairs” following last season’s improved campaign. Pressed on whether he felt United had invested enough over the summer, he did not hedge. “Yes, 100%,” he said, before turning his attention squarely to the man responsible for United’s transfer business. “I expect more from our technical director. I have to be honest.”
Martinez Takes Aim at Wilcox and the Boardroom
Martinez, who is out of contract at the end of the season, pointed to United’s failure to strengthen at left back or up front during the summer window, arguing that rival clubs had strengthened more freely while United’s business left gaps. “We had a fantastic season last season, and now we expect more from the top, from upstairs, to bring in more players to compete because many teams have brought in many players as well,” he said.
He did not spare his own dressing room either, turning briefly to Michael Carrick’s position before pulling back from saying anything that could be read as a direct threat to the manager. “You start changing, changing, changing managers,” he said, glancing upwards as he spoke, “but what about other areas?” He stopped short of elaborating further, adding only, “I can’t say more.”
United’s summer spending told a more complicated story than Martinez’s frustration suggested. Having focused heavily on attacking reinforcements in 2025 with the signings of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, the club shifted its priorities towards midfield this year, spending close to £158 million on Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. Sky Sports reported that the strategy had been signed off at the very top, with Wilcox retaining the full backing of chief executive Omar Berrada and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and that the club’s hierarchy remains determined to avoid repeating past mistakes, such as handing lengthy contracts to players who fall outside Carrick’s first team plans.
The Flight Home and the Fallout
The reaction inside the camp was immediate. Sky Sports reported that at least one team-mate confronted Martinez as the squad boarded their flight home from Madrid, with the defender’s comments understood to have questioned whether some of his colleagues were good enough for the level United are supposed to be competing at. That detail alone hinted at a dressing room now carrying tension into a run of fixtures United can scarcely afford to stumble through.
Carrick, asked about the interview afterwards, kept his response measured. “I haven’t seen it, so I can’t really comment on that,” he said, before acknowledging the mood around the squad. “There’s disappointment within the group.” Youri Tielemans, one of the summer’s midfield arrivals, said he had only “half heard about it” when asked for his reaction.
Former United midfielder Wayne Rooney was less restrained in his assessment, suggesting Martinez “has maybe gone a bit too far” and arguing the comments were “a bit disrespectful to his team-mates,” adding that such frustrations “should really stay internal.” Jamie Carragher was equally blunt on Sky Sports, calling it “awful that he’s come out and said that right now.”
By Wednesday night, Martinez had posted a statement on Instagram addressing the fallout, though notably stopping short of an apology. He explained that his comments came “out of anger and frustration at not getting the result we all wanted,” and reframed his outburst as a demand for higher standards rather than an attack on individuals, insisting he still believed in his team-mates, his manager and those working to move the club forward. It read as an attempt to calm the situation without retracting a word of the substance behind it.
What Happens Next
The practical consequences remain uncertain. Martinez’s comments are understood to represent a technical breach of his contract, which could leave United’s hierarchy weighing some form of internal disciplinary response, though there is no indication yet of whether any sanction would be made public. Few inside the club expect him to be dropped as a result. Carrick still needs his experience and leadership at the back, particularly with United labouring through one of their poorest runs of results in years.
Wilcox’s position looks secure for now, with the club keen to stress that recruitment strategy is a collective decision taken well above technical director level, not a verdict on one man’s judgement. United’s revenue climbed to a record £678 million in 2025/26, yet the club still posted a £47 million pre-tax loss, a reminder of the financial tightrope Ratcliffe’s regime insists it is walking even as patience among players and supporters wears thin.
Carrick is expected to face further questions on the episode at his next press conference, with United’s focus already turning to Sunday’s Premier League trip to Leeds United. Whatever the final word from Old Trafford, Martinez has said out loud what plenty inside the club have apparently been thinking for some time, and that rarely disappears quietly in a dressing room already under pressure to deliver results.
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