Manchester United’s struggles have sparked fresh tensions over the club’s recruitment policy after defender Lisandro Martinez publicly questioned whether the management had done enough to strengthen the squad for its return to Champions League football.
The Argentine international’s criticism followed Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid, which extended United’s winless streak to five matches across all competitions.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the encounter, Martinez argued that responsibility for the team’s disappointing performances should extend beyond head coach Michael Carrick and the players.
He specifically challenged technical director Jason Wilcox, suggesting that United’s recruitment strategy had failed to provide sufficient depth for competing against Europe’s leading clubs.
“I expect more. 100 per cent. I expect more from our technical director, Jason Wilcox,” Martinez said.
United secured Champions League qualification after finishing third in the Premier League last season, ending a three-year absence from the competition.
However, despite spending approximately £155 million on three midfielders, the club made limited reinforcements in other positions.
Martinez maintained that the previous campaign had provided a foundation for further progress, but insisted that stronger investment was necessary to build a competitive squad.
While acknowledging that players must improve their performances, the defender argued that recruitment decisions also deserved scrutiny.
He further questioned the club’s history of managerial changes, suggesting that repeatedly replacing coaches would not address deeper organisational problems.
“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas?” he asked.
The remarks immediately attracted criticism from former United captain Wayne Rooney, who warned that publicly questioning the squad’s quality could damage relationships within the dressing room.
Rooney described the comments as disrespectful to Martinez’s teammates, arguing that they could be interpreted as suggesting the existing players were not good enough.
“Something like that will rip that dressing room apart,” Rooney warned during his analysis on Amazon Prime.
Carrick, meanwhile, declined to engage extensively with the controversy after the match.
The United manager explained that he had not watched Martinez’s complete interview and preferred to concentrate on improving the team’s performances.
United’s latest defeat has intensified attention on the club’s leadership structure, including Wilcox, chief executive Omar Berrada and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The team has failed to register a victory since defeating Azerbaijani side Sabah FK on September 10, adding pressure as its domestic and European campaigns continue.
Martinez’s own future also remains unresolved, with the former Ajax defender reportedly having one year left on his contract and no extension agreed.
His public criticism has now placed recruitment and internal accountability at the centre of discussions surrounding United’s poor form.
With results continuing to disappoint, the club faces the challenge of addressing its performances while managing the tensions created by one of its senior players’ outspoken assessment.
