Lisandro Martinez said what every Man Utd fan was thinking - but cowardly, Cristiano Ronaldo-esque outburst can’t go unpunished

It all felt very premeditated, too. Martinez was clearly itching to vent before the microphone was put to his mouth, and he essentially just repeated the frustrated thoughts of supporters that have been splashed all over social media after every United game this term.

There's no questioning their validity; United spent only £155 million ($206m) in the summer market, significantly less than all of their main rivals, and all of it went on strengthening the midfield. Youri Tielemans was a bargain buy at £35m ($46m), but it could easily be argued that the 29-year-old is past his peak, while buying Chelsea reject Andrey Santos for £50m ($66m) made no sense at all. Carlos Baleba is the only new arrival who looks primed to be a real long-term asset, though United overpaid with a £70m ($93m) outlay on a player who had a dismal 2025-26 season at Brighton.

None of them bring the goal threat and aerial prowess in both boxes that Casemiro had, so it was, at best, a mediocre overhaul of the engine room. Meanwhile, even more pressing areas of the pitch were neglected, namely central striker and left-back. Benjamin Sesko is not physically or technically up to the task of leading the line yet, and Luke Shaw's body can't hold up to playing three games a week.

Bringing in another experienced centre-back would have been shrewd, too, because of Matthijs de Ligt's chronic back injury, Harry Maguire's growing lack of mobility and Martinez's unreliability. But even when you factor all of that in, it doesn't excuse United's run of results since August.

This is still largely the same squad that Carrick had at his disposal in May. They had statistically the easiest opening Premier League fixtures, too, including back-to-back meetings with newly-promoted Hull City and Ipswich, and away games against Everton and Fulham. Yes, Wilcox let Carrick down, just as he did Amorim, for failing in his role as the manager's first line of support, and almost every decision made by INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe has set the club back further, but the players can't hide behind that - least of all Martinez.

In fairness, United did raise their collective level against Atletico, with Ratcliffe and club CEO Omar Berrada watching from the stands. The 2-0 win flattered the hosts, and they greatly benefitted from a controversial VAR decision that saw Leny Yoro sent off in the 74th minute.

Carrick's side might have got something from the game had they not been reduced to 10 men. Bryan Mbeumo had two great chances, and Marcus Rashford and Baleba were also guilty of bad misses, while Bruno Fernandes hit the bar with a curling shot from outside the box.

There was more urgency in attack and United looked better organised at the back, largely thanks to the presence of Baleba, who protected the defence impressively with five ground duel wins and three recoveries. His energy and combative nature seemed to rub off on his colleagues, too.

It was admirable how well the Red Devils responded after going a goal down inside the first minute, and there was a nervous atmosphere in the Metropolitano as Atletico struggled to hold onto their lead. And yet, when Martinez was asked to give his verdict on the display, he replied: "Really poor, really poor. I have to control myself a lot but sometimes is a reflection of the mirror of how our club is at the moment. It's annoying, disappointing coming here and I am not seeing my team trying to get an amazing result here."

The interview did not go down well with United legend Wayne Rooney, who covered the game as a pundit for Amazon Prime. "For me it's disrespectful to his team-mates," Rooney said. "I had a similar situation when I went in and asked Sir Alex Ferguson about what players we were bringing in.

"I apologised two days later, so I can speak from experience of what he's just done. It is very disrespectful. There are a lot of young players in that dressing room, as well. They are looking for some guidance from experienced players."

According to talkSPORT, several of United's senior stars share Martinez's anger at Wilcox and the board, but the timing was all wrong. Baleba, Tielemans and Santos would now be justified in thinking that the Argentine doesn't believe they are good enough to play for the club, and, as Rooney alluded to, it may also adversely affect the confidence of up-and-comers like Yoro and Ayden Heaven.

Martinez was also punching above his station. "Only Bruno (Fernandes) can come out and say that," Rooney continued. "It looks like a player trying to look after himself. It’s sad because you need players to stick together, or something like that can rip the dressing room apart."

Indeed, as captain, Fernandes should speak on behalf of the squad. Rooney was spot on again; this just smacked of Martinez trying to take heat off himself. It was a cowardly move, not a brave one.

It's also possible that Martinez might be trying to force his way out of Old Trafford, with his current contract set to expire next summer. He has some previous in that regard, with a Telegraaf report from 2022 alleging that he called Ajax technical director Gerry Hamstra a "f*cking nobody" shortly before joining United. Fellow Argentine Cristian Romero, meanwhile, put Tottenham in a bind after a similar rant against the club's top brass in January, and now he's thriving in an Atletico team that does have genuine credentials in all the top competitions.

If some clubs view Martinez as a victim of a broken system at United, he has a better chance of getting a big move. But let's get this straight right now: no one should feel sorry for the 28-year-old. He's been part of the problem in the red half of Manchester for some time.

Martinez's grit initially earned him fan-favourite status after his £57m ($76m) switch to United, and the nickname "Butcher", but he's been dreadfully inconsistent over the last three years, and numerous injuries have kept him out for long periods. As it stands, the 28-year-old should go down as one of the many flop signings of the post-Ferguson era.

Just four days ago, he cost the Red Devils an invaluable home win against Tottenham after being bullied in the box by Dominic Solanke, which prompted Adam Crafton of The Athletic to write on X: "They should have cashed in on Martinez after the World Cup. The gap between his actual performances and sense of self is very big."

His value is certainly dropping with each passing game. Martinez also scored an inexplicable own goal against Fulham, and gifted Ipswich their second goal in United's 5-2 win against Gary O'Neil's side at Old Trafford. The former Ajax man's passing range is exceptional, but he's prone to crucial lapses in concentration that make him an obvious target for opponents.

The last man to speak out so brazenly against his United paymasters was a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, just a few months after Martinez's arrival. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner criticised everything from then-manager Erik ten Hag to the club's training facilities and academy players in a nausea-inducing sit-down with Piers Morgan, which led to his contract being terminated by mutual consent.

In that instance, Ronaldo threw his toys out of the pram because Ten Hag had dropped him to the bench - which came as a serious blow to his ridiculous ego. Martinez is not in the same position, but he's being almost as selfish.

Carrick was bombarded with questions about Martinez after the Atletico defeat, and they will keep coming right up until United face Leeds in a must-win Pennines derby clash at Elland Road on Sunday. Martinez's defence of Carrick was not properly thought out; he has made the former midfielder's job even harder.

A swift Ronaldo-esque exit would be too extreme, but Martinez must be punished. At the very least, he should be hit with a hefty fine and play no part in the Leeds game. Looking further down the line, United would be wise not to take up their option to extend his contract until 2028.

The Red Devils won't have any hope of reviving the glory days as long as their current backroom structure remains in place, but equally, entitled players with no self-awareness only drag them down too. All Martinez has really achieved is showing once and for all that he doesn't belong at Old Trafford.