Lisandro Martinez says anger fuelled Man Utd blast but offers no apology
Lisandro Martinez says he spoke out of anger and frustration when he attacked Manchester United's hierarchy, but he has not taken back a word of it.
The defender hit out after United's 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League group phase, the opening stage where results decide who reaches the knockout rounds. He criticised the club for not strengthening the squad in the summer after qualification for the competition. He said he expected more investment to build a side able to compete in Europe. BBC
Martinez named Jason Wilcox, United's technical director and the man who leads recruitment and long-term squad planning. He said he expected "more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]". His fire was aimed upstairs, not at the dugout.
Manager Michael Carrick escaped blame. Martinez said he keeps belief in his team-mates, Carrick and everyone working to help United move forward. That message came in a social media post issued after the defeat.
"After the match, I spoke out of anger and frustration at not getting the result we all wanted," he wrote.
The post stopped short of an apology. It did not retract the criticism of the hierarchy. Sky Sports News reported anger and bemusement at the comments in both the United boardroom and the changing room, with Martinez's future at the club now in doubt. Sky Sports
Martinez had also questioned whether the current squad is of Champions League quality, accusing club chiefs of failing to prepare the team properly for this season. ESPN
The outburst followed a flat run. United had not won in five games since beating Sabah in the Champions League on 10 September. They had won only two of their nine games this season at the time of reporting. In the Premier League, England's top flight, they sat 13th with six points from six games.
Off the pitch there is another layer. Martinez's contract expires at the end of the season, although United hold the option to extend it by another year.
For fans, this means noise before a match that needs no extra noise. United travel to Leeds United in the Premier League on 18 October. Form is poor. Trust looks thin. The timing stung, and the fallout will follow United to Elland Road.
