Manchester United’s return from Madrid has left more than a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atlético to consider. In the Spanish capital, Lisandro Martínez gave voice to frustrations that had been gathering around Old Trafford, questioning both Michael Carrick’s work and the club’s planning after a troubled beginning to the new campaign.
The mood is markedly different from the close of 2025-26, when United lost only twice in their final 12 matches and Carrick appeared to offer a route back towards relevance in Europe. The new season has instead opened with just two victories, and Martínez’s comments after the second Champions League matchday have placed the Argentine defender at the centre of a potential disciplinary issue.
“Yes, I expected more from our coach,” Martínez said in the immediate aftermath of the loss in Madrid. He later widened his criticism beyond the dugout, arguing that the squad required stronger investment during the transfer window. Players must improve, he said, but a club needs to assemble a side capable of handling nights of this scale.
Martínez also questioned the cycle of managerial changes at United, asking what was being addressed elsewhere within the club. In his view, it is too simple to direct blame solely at coaches or footballers while avoiding wider questions around the running of the team.
Possible response from Old Trafford
There are other United players who share concerns over the club’s direction, although Martínez has been the one to express them publicly. The defender could now face internal punishment, with a substantial financial fine understood to be the most likely measure.
There remains uncertainty over whether further sporting action could follow. One possibility under discussion is a decision involving the coaching staff to place Carrick on the bench, though such a move would risk worsening the already strained relationship between the hierarchy and parts of the dressing room.
Martínez is tied to United until June 2027, with an option that could extend his stay by a further year to 2028. That contractual security does not remove the immediate tension, particularly after the defender linked the team’s difficulties to recruitment and planning rather than simply to performances on the pitch.
Leeds provides the next test
United travel to Leeds United for their Premier League Matchday 6 fixture on Sunday 18 October, scheduled for 7:00am Central Mexico time. By the time the side arrives in West Yorkshire, it may be clearer whether Martínez will face a fine alone or be left out of the matchday selection.
For Carrick and his players, the trip offers little room for another unsettled week. The defeat in Madrid was a European setback, but the reaction to it now reaches from the dressing room to the boardroom.
