Lisandro Martinez has been told he was wrong to say Manchester United are not a Champions League club. Tuesday's 2-0 defeat away to Atletico Madrid extended the Red Devils' winless run to five matches, but the big talking point came after the game.
In an extraordinary interview with Prime Video, Martinez launched an astonishing attack on director of football Jason Wilcox and the United hierarchy for failing to back Michael Carrick in the summer. He also claimed his side currently appears to lack "belief" and "energy," while admitting they seem disconnected.
Merson and Sherwood hit back
Reacting to the interview, former Arsenal star Paul Merson told Sky Sports: "They [technical directors] bring in the players, don't get me wrong. That's the day and age we're in.
"But when you get out there, you've got to perform. He's the one who lost [Dominic] Solanke, he's the one who lost him in the box. I've never heard that from a professional footballer. And to say the club are not a Champions League club. They're one of the biggest clubs in the world of football. You can't really say that. There's a lot lesser clubs in that Champions League than Manchester United."
Martinez's explosive interview
A fuming Martinez had told Prime Video: "Really poor performance, really poor. I have to control myself a lot. But sometimes it is the reflection, the mirror, for our club at the moment.
"A fantastic season last season, but now we are far from the top. We have to bring in more players to compete. Look at Atletico, they had an amazing team, they deserved to win.
"I expect more, from everyone. More investment? Yes, 100 per cent. I expect more from our technical director, I have to be honest."
Before he continued: "As players, we have to do more, but it's also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this sort of night.
"Last season we created a base to build an amazing team, but this is something to be honest. It's annoying to come here with my team and not trying to get an amazing result."
Martinez was then asked if United head coach Michael Carrick was sufficiently backed with investment in the squad over the summer. He responded with: "I don't think so. He does his best, but every season is different. Teams know how you play, every detail. If you don't change each season, it's a big problem.
"Changing, changing, changing manager? What about other areas? I can't say more. It's easy to blame the coach, it's easy to blame the players, but what about other areas?"
Fallout and possible discipline
Martinez may face internal disciplinary action, while it is also being reported that his comments prompted a challenge from at least one United player on the flight back to Manchester and caused tension to be heightened. His outburst is understood to have particularly angered some members of the squad.
The Argentine's suggestion that his fellow United players were not good enough to compete at the highest level is also claimed to have particularly angered members of the squad and a split may have formed.
And the United defender has been told by former Premier League winner Tim Sherwood that he isn't good enough to be making such statements. Speaking on the Overlap Daily, via Sky Vegas, he said: "It's out of order. It's out of order what he's come out and said. He's dug him out. Jason [Wilcox], I know he's my pal and someone I've played with for many, many years.
"He's got a top job there, and he knows full well that it comes with a lot of responsibility, and the pressure is on him to produce the players. From the evidence of what we've seen on the pitch, they ain't done it, so the recruitment's been poor.
"But still, don't give a licence to one of your players - and a bad player, by the way, someone who's having a shocker of a time, who just got bullied in the six-yard box by Dominic Solanke in the last few minutes of the game to gift Tottenham Hotspur a draw, which they deserved.
"Keep your mouth shut, mate. It's okay for me saying it from afar, because I've made that mistake myself before. I've come out and talked – not against the manager, against the club – when I was at Tottenham.
"I was 33 at the time, Glenn Hoddle was the manager, and basically there was a reason why I was doing it, Jay. And I think it's exactly the same reason why Martínez is doing it. He wants out."
