Steven Gerrard and Roy Keane agreed that Lisandro Martinez's comments following Manchester United's defeat to Atletico Madrid were unhelpful, though they acknowledged that players are often criticised for being too robotic.
Former rivals unite in criticism
Speaking on the latest episode of Stick to Football, the former Liverpool midfielder Gerrard felt that Martinez's comments were 'unhelpful', while Ian Wright questioned the motives of the Argentinian international. The ex-Arsenal forward asked why the defender made the comments when there is little opportunity for the club to address those issues in the transfer market, but understood why fans would agree with them.
Keane said: "What right have we got to say what a player should or shouldn't say? I'm not saying whether it's right or wrong, but that's what players do. They're gonna do it live on TV after games, on social media. Who are we to say what they can or can't say? There'll be some fans thinking it's great, while others will say 'you're letting the team down.'"
Neville's dressing room concerns
Gary Neville interjected: "But that's devastating for the club Roy. If you're the manager, if you're Michael Carrick now and have a player who is criticising the board, the sporting director. This is the big problem I do have with it. Wayne Rooney made a statement back in 2010 and said the club weren't ambitious enough in signing players. To me that is a direct criticism of his teammates that they aren't good enough because they should be signing more players."
Neville added that he had never heard a player go directly for the sporting director, with Gerrard adding that he felt the senior players in the group had been discussing it, saying it does not help Carrick on the eve of playing Leeds United.
Keane's 'man in the mirror' response
Keane replied: "The first thing you do at United when you're going through a difficult spell, the issue I have with players saying certain things, you have to start with the man in the mirror. Are these players at the top of their game? Sometimes when you've not won a few games you say you could've had a stronger squad, but when you're on the back of some defeats and they're struggling. This has come from a player who has only played 80 games for Man United. He's not played three, four or five hundred times. That's where I go back to the man in the mirror comment, start playing well yourself."
Wright felt that there was an underlying motive to Martinez's comments, whether that be a new contract or wanting to leave Old Trafford.
