Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has criticised the club's hierarchy over what he considers inadequate investment in the squad, insisting that the team's return to the UEFA Champions League should have been matched by further recruitment.
Martinez spoke after United suffered a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, extending their winless run to five matches across all competitions and intensifying scrutiny of the club's recruitment strategy.
The Argentine defender argued that responsibility for the team's struggles should not rest solely on head coach Michael Carrick and the players, urging the club's management to strengthen the squad to compete against Europe's leading sides.
“We did a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top, more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well,” Martinez told Amazon Prime.
“I expect more. 100 per cent. I expect more from our technical director, Jason Wilcox.”
While acknowledging that the players also needed to improve, Martinez said the club required a stronger squad to cope with demanding fixtures.
“I have to be honest, as players we have to do more but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night,” he said.
“Tonight it is easy to blame the coach, easy to blame the players but also we have to see other areas.”
United finished third in the Premier League last season to secure Champions League qualification for the first time in three years. The club subsequently spent about £155m on three midfielders but did not significantly reinforce other areas of the squad.
Martinez also questioned United's repeated managerial changes, arguing that other departments within the club should be held accountable for its shortcomings.
“You can't keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can't say more,” he said.
“Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team.”
His comments, however, drew criticism from former United captain Wayne Rooney, who warned that publicly questioning the squad's quality and the club's leadership could damage dressing-room unity.
“Something like that will rip that dressing room apart,” Rooney said while analysing the interview on Amazon Prime.
Rooney also considered Martinez's remarks disrespectful to his teammates, arguing that they could be interpreted as suggesting the players were not good enough.
Carrick said he had not watched the full interview when asked about the defender's comments after the defeat. The United manager declined to offer a detailed assessment, saying his immediate priority was to move the team forward.
The defeat has further increased scrutiny of technical director Jason Wilcox, chief executive Omar Berrada and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Martinez, who joined United from Ajax in 2022, has one year remaining on his contract and is yet to agree an extension.
Barcelona fight back to defeat Galatasaray
Elsewhere, Tuesday's Champions League action produced several entertaining encounters, with Barcelona recording a 4-1 victory over Galatasaray, Club Brugge edging Inter Milan 4-3 and Arsenal defeating Lille 3-0.
Barcelona recovered from an early setback to secure an emphatic away win over Galatasaray.
Aleksey Batrakov put the Turkish side ahead in the 27th minute, but João Cancelo restored parity for the visitors in the 42nd minute.
Barcelona took control after the break, with Fermín López scoring in the 49th minute before Anthony Gordon extended their lead three minutes later.
Karim Adeyemi completed the scoring in the 64th minute to seal a convincing victory for the Catalan side.
Lamine Yamal played a key role in Barcelona's attacking display, providing two assists as the visitors capitalised on their opportunities.
The result highlighted Barcelona's ability to recover from conceding first, while Galatasaray were left to rue their defensive lapses in the second half.
Club Brugge stun Inter in seven-goal thriller
Club Brugge produced one of the night's biggest surprises, defeating Inter Milan 4-3 in a thrilling encounter at the San Siro.
Nicolò Tresoldi opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 30th minute before Inter responded through Lautaro Martínez, who equalised in the 44th minute following an assist from Federico Dimarco.
Tresoldi restored Club Brugge's advantage in the 63rd minute and completed his hat-trick in the 74th minute, putting the Belgian side in a commanding position.
Martínez scored again in the 81st minute to revive Inter's hopes, but Romeo Vermant struck for the visitors in the 87th minute after receiving a pass from Carlos Forbs.
Ange-Yoan Bonny reduced the deficit for Inter in stoppage time, with Aleksandar Stanković providing the assist, but the Italian side could not find another goal.
Tresoldi's hat-trick proved decisive, while Forbs' creative contribution helped Club Brugge secure a notable victory against one of Europe's established clubs.
Arsenal overwhelm Lille after the break
Arsenal also enjoyed a productive evening, defeating Lille 3-0 after a goalless first half.
The Gunners initially struggled to break down the French side's defence but found their rhythm after the interval.
Jurriën Timber opened the scoring in the 64th minute before Eberechi Eze doubled Arsenal's advantage three minutes later.
Bukayo Saka completed the victory in the 71st minute, capping a decisive spell in which Arsenal scored three times in seven minutes.
The quick succession of goals demonstrated Arsenal's ability to turn a closely contested match into a comfortable victory, while Lille were punished for defensive errors and a loss of concentration.
Bayern surrender lead against Viking
Bayern Munich were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw by Viking after surrendering an early two-goal deficit, completing a comeback and then conceding a late equaliser.
Viking took the lead through Gianni Stensness in the opening minute, while Peter Christiansen doubled the hosts' advantage in the 37th minute.
Harry Kane brought Bayern back into contention with goals in the 53rd and 59th minutes before Luis Díaz completed the turnaround in the 70th minute.
However, Michael Olise's dismissal three minutes later changed the momentum of the contest.
Viking took advantage of their numerical superiority, with Herman Johan Haugen scoring a late equaliser to deny the German champions victory.
Bayern's attacking quality was evident in their comeback, but their inability to protect the lead and Olise's red card proved costly.
Sporting overcome Lens
Sporting CP secured a 2-0 away victory over Lens, scoring once in each half to claim an important win.
Luis Suárez opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, giving the Portuguese side an advantage they maintained through the remainder of the first half.
Lens struggled to break through Sporting's defensive organisation, and Issa Doumbia sealed the victory with a second goal in the 74th minute.
Sporting's disciplined performance and clinical finishing ensured that the French side could not mount a comeback.
A night of contrasting fortunes
Tuesday's fixtures produced a mixture of dominant performances, unexpected victories and late drama.
Barcelona demonstrated their attacking resilience against Galatasaray, while Arsenal's second-half scoring burst secured a convincing win over Lille.
Club Brugge delivered one of the night's standout results by defeating Inter Milan in a seven-goal thriller, while Sporting CP recorded a disciplined away victory against Lens.
Bayern Munich were left frustrated after failing to hold on to their advantage against Viking, and Atletico Madrid capitalised on Manchester United's defensive problems to secure a 2-0 win.
For United, the result and Martinez's subsequent criticism have added another dimension to questions surrounding the club's recruitment, squad depth and leadership as pressure mounts on Carrick and the wider management structure.
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