Lisandro Martinez’s criticism of the Manchester United hierarchy has raised fears of tension inside the dressing room following Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid.
The result extended United’s winless run to five matches in all competitions and increased the pressure on manager Michael Carrick. Martinez’s public comments have now created a further problem, with former Premier League scout Bryan King warning that the defender could face questions from his team-mates.
Lisandro Martinez criticism raises Manchester United dressing-room fears
Martinez questioned United’s summer recruitment after the loss in Spain, saying he had expected greater investment and specifically referring to technical director Jason Wilcox.
King believes the intervention could unsettle the squad at a time when poor performances and results have already placed Carrick under scrutiny.
“That will have dropped a bomb in the dressing room, I can tell you. The other players will be turning to him and saying, ‘why have you said that?’ It will make things worse,” King said.
United signed Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans during the summer, but concerns remain over the squad’s options at left-back, right-back and in attack.
Martinez’s frustration, however, appears to have been directed more towards recruitment and the club’s hierarchy than Carrick’s coaching. His comments questioned whether the manager had been properly supported and argued that United could not respond to difficult results by repeatedly changing managers.
That may indicate that the Argentina international retains faith in Carrick, while placing responsibility for the club’s difficulties on the way the squad has been assembled.
Even so, the manager’s position is likely to remain vulnerable while United’s winless run continues. The clearest way for Carrick to ease the pressure surrounding Manchester United is to start winning matches.
