Lisandro Martinez has come under heavy criticism after his sending-off contributed to Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat by Chelsea, only weeks after the Argentina defender had questioned the club’s transfer strategy and leadership.
Martinez was shown two yellow cards in quick succession and dismissed in the 63rd minute after a challenge on Wesley Fofana inside the penalty area. Cole Palmer converted the resulting penalty to score Chelsea’s second goal.
He had also been involved in the build-up to Chelsea’s opener, allowing Morgan Rogers to advance through the Manchester United defence before scoring early in the second half.
The defeat extended Manchester United’s run without a win in all competitions to nine matches. They have dropped to 17th in the table with seven points and have recorded only one Premier League victory since the start of the current season.
Martinez had criticised the club’s recruitment after Manchester United’s 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid. He questioned the lack of movement in the transfer market and called on the club’s management, particularly sporting director Jason Wilcox, to add players capable of competing at the highest level.
The defender said he had expected greater support from the board after the previous season, and argued that repeatedly changing managers would not solve the club’s problems. He added that responsibility could not rest solely with the players and coaching staff.
His comments caused widespread debate inside and outside the club. Martinez later apologised for the timing and manner of his remarks, saying he had met club officials and manager Michael Carrick to discuss the situation and exchange views.
But only a few weeks later, he was one of the main reasons behind the latest defeat, according to former Liverpool and Tottenham player Danny Murphy.
Speaking on Match of the Day, as reported by the Metro, Murphy said Martinez’s recent conduct risked turning him into a “burden” for Manchester United and questioned whether he could regain the coaching staff’s trust.
“It is heading that way,” Murphy said. “A player with that experience and quality should have known what he was doing. Clearly, something is not right with him at the moment, because you do not expect such poor performances from a player with those abilities.”
Murphy referred to Martinez’s previous dispute with Dominic Solanke during the match against Tottenham, his interview criticising the club’s management and his display against Chelsea, which he described as well below his usual standard.
“I do not know whether he is thinking about leaving, or whether he is frustrated by everything happening around the club, but he has left Carrick with a major dilemma now,” Murphy added.
He also doubted whether Martinez would return to the starting XI after completing his suspension.
“I think it is unlikely Michael will put him straight back into the team, if he is still the manager by then,” said Murphy.
Despite his criticism of Martinez, Murphy said Carrick could not escape responsibility for Manchester United’s poor start. He argued that the deeper problem involved not only a lack of quality in some positions, but also the team’s physical and mental condition.
“The biggest problem I see at Manchester United currently is not just a lack of quality,” he said. “Over the past two months, the team has looked physically far short of the level we saw at the end of last season.”
Murphy suggested this could reflect inadequate physical preparation, a loss of concentration or players failing to respond to the manager’s instructions. He said the cause was likely to vary from player to player and could involve a combination of both factors.
He also questioned whether Carrick could restore the team’s unity, fighting spirit and physical level with the current squad as pressure continues to grow.
