Manchester United’s Champions League defeat at Atlético de Madrid has reopened the fault lines around the club, with Lisandro Martínez demanding greater backing from the board after a poor start to the campaign. United have won only two of their opening nine matches, and the Argentine defender said the situation at the Metropolitano exposed problems beyond the pitch.
What the night decided
Atlético deserved their victory, Martínez acknowledged, but United’s latest European setback also intensified the scrutiny on a squad that had appeared to be moving forward under Michael Carrick at the end of the 2025/26 season.
“We are playing very badly, very badly,” Martínez said after the match. “I have to hold myself back, but sometimes it reflects where the club is at the moment.”
He contrasted the current uncertainty with last season’s strong finish, saying United had built the foundations of an excellent side. But he argued that the club had not strengthened sufficiently to challenge at the top level while rival teams continued to add quality.
Martínez called for more investment and directly named technical director Jason Wilcox in his appeal for improvement.
“I expect more investment, absolutely,” he said. “I expect more from our technical director. We players must also give more, but when you are a strong club, you need to be ready for a night like this.”
The defender said it was frustrating and disappointing to leave the Metropolitano without a major result, while insisting that Atlético had earned the win with an “incredible team”.
The pressure is not on Carrick alone
Martínez was careful not to direct his criticism at Carrick, arguing that the manager was doing everything possible in a difficult situation.
“Every season is different,” he said. “You cannot live off what you did the previous year, and you cannot keep changing managers. I cannot say any more.”
For Martínez, the reaction to the Atlético defeat should not be confined to the coach or the players. “After a night like this, it is easy to speak about the manager and easy to speak about the players,” he added. “But we also have to look at other things.”
