Lisandro Martinez explains Man United outburst at technical director Jason Wilcox but does not apologise

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez released a statement on Wednesday night, 14 October, to explain his public criticism of the club's hierarchy, but did not apologise. The Argentine had used a post-match television interview after Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid to question the club's summer recruitment and to single out technical director Jason Wilcox. His comments were sharply criticised by former United captain Wayne Rooney and Liverpool great Jamie Carragher.

What Martinez said in Madrid

United lost 2-0 at the Metropolitano, with Pablo Barrios and Ademola Lookman scoring for Atletico, and Leny Yoro was sent off. The result extended United's winless run to five matches and added pressure on manager Michael Carrick, with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and chief executive Omar Berrada watching from the stands.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the match, Martinez called the performance really poor and said it reflected the wider state of the club. He argued that after finishing third in the Premier League last season and returning to the Champions League, United needed to invest more. "I expect more from our technical director," he said, in a direct reference to Wilcox.

United spent around £155 million on new signings in the summer, including Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. Martinez said there were still too few attacking options to support striker Benjamin Sesko and not enough competition for Luke Shaw at left-back.

He was more supportive of Carrick. Asked about the manager's future, he said Carrick was doing his best and warned that the club changed managers too often, suggesting that other parts of the club also shared the blame.

The statement a day later

Around 24 hours after the game, Martinez posted a statement on Instagram. He said he had spoken out of anger and frustration at the result, and described his comments as a sign of his passion and his high standards for the club. He framed his demand for more as a call for ambition across United, and said the players, himself included, also had to deliver. He added that he believed in his team-mates and his manager.

The statement did not include an apology. Sky Sports reported that United had not yet decided whether to take disciplinary action, and that his words had angered people in both the boardroom and the dressing room, with at least one team-mate confronting him on the flight home. The same report said there was no internal pressure on Wilcox. Martinez's contract expires at the end of the season.

Rooney and Carragher hit back

Rooney, working for Amazon Prime, said Martinez had gone too far and that such issues should be dealt with privately. He called the comments disrespectful to his team-mates and said the defender's own form had not been good enough to justify them, although he agreed the club needs further investment.

Carragher described the remarks as awful and said they helped nobody. He pointed to Martinez's difficult start to the season, while still praising him as a good player and a World Cup winner.

Pressure on Carrick grows

The row lands at a difficult time for Carrick. Before the trip to Madrid, United had been held 1-1 at home by 10-man Tottenham in the league. With five games without a win, the focus now turns to whether the squad can respond on the pitch, and whether the club will act on Martinez's outburst.

Key takeaways

• Lisandro Martinez criticised technical director Jason Wilcox after United's 2-0 loss at Atletico Madrid on 13 October.
• In an Instagram statement on 14 October, he said he spoke out of anger and frustration but did not apologise.
• Wayne Rooney called his comments disrespectful, and Jamie Carragher described them as awful.
• United are five games without a win, and Martinez's contract ends this season.

FAQ

What did Lisandro Martinez say about Manchester United? He said the club should have invested more after last season's third-place finish and said he expected more from technical director Jason Wilcox.

Did Lisandro Martinez apologise? No. His Instagram statement said he spoke out of anger and frustration, but it did not include an apology.

Will Manchester United discipline Martinez? According to Sky Sports, United had not decided on any disciplinary action at the time of his statement.

Sources: Sky Sports, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports