Lisandro Martinez criticised Manchester United's hierarchy after the team's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, saying the club did not invest enough over the summer.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the match, the defender expressed frustration that the squad was not strengthened to compete at the highest level.
Defender's frustration over squad investment
"I have to control myself a lot, but sometimes it's a reflection of how our club is at the moment," Martinez said. "We had a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top, from the people upstairs, to bring in more players to compete, because many teams have signed a lot of players as well."
He added: "Atletico have an amazing team. They decided to win today, and this is not a Champions League quality squad."
When asked directly if he expected more investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, Martinez replied: "Yes, of course. I think the players can do more, but it's also important to build a strong squad to be ready for these kinds of nights."
Team needs to evolve, says Martinez
Martinez also suggested the team needed to change to avoid being predictable. "Last season we did everything. We created a base to build an amazing team, but now we have to be honest and prove something. It's annoying and disappointing to come here and not see my team trying to get an amazing result."
He continued: "I don't think so. He does his best, but every season is different. You can't stay with what you did last season. Teams know how you play; they know every detail. If you don't change, it's a big problem."
"It's easy to blame the coach, and it's easy to blame the players, but we also have to look at other areas," he added.
Reaction from teammates and coach
Youri Tielemans, who was interviewed after Martinez, said he had "no comment" on the defender's remarks.
Manager Michael Carrick initially said: "I haven't seen it." After being told what Martinez said, Carrick added: "We've come here to win, we're disappointed and we can be emotional...but I haven't seen it."
