From striker to accused: former Liverpool star says this player has become a burden on Manchester United

Martinez had opened fire on Manchester United's officials following the 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, criticising the weak activity in the transfer market and demanding that the management, led by sporting director Jason Wilcox, provide additional players capable of competing.

The Argentine defender said at the time that he had expected greater support from the management after last season. Constantly changing managers, he argued, does not solve the club's problems, and the responsibility does not fall on the players and coaching staff alone.

His comments sparked wide controversy inside and outside the club. He later apologised for the timing and manner of his remarks, confirming that he had met the club's officials and manager Michael Carrick to exchange views about what had happened.

A few weeks later, Martinez found himself in a completely different position. He became one of the most prominent reasons for Manchester United's 2-0 fall to Chelsea.

Two bookings in a short space complicated his team's task. He was sent off in the 63rd minute following a challenge on Wesley Fofana inside the penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty that Cole Palmer converted for the second goal. Martinez's problems did not stop at the dismissal. He also bore responsibility for the first goal, allowing Morgan Rogers to advance through United's defence before scoring at the start of the second half.

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Danny Murphy led the criticism of the Argentine defender. The former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder reckons his recent conduct has gradually turned him into a "burden" on Manchester United, and he doubts whether the player can win back the trust of the coaching staff.

Speaking on "Match of the Day", as reported by Metro, Murphy said: "Things are heading that way. A player with this experience and quality should have known what he was doing. It is clear that there is something not quite right with him at the moment, because you do not expect these poor performances from a player with such potential."

He tied the sending-off to the troubles that came before it. There was the clash with Dominic Solanke against Tottenham, then the interview in which he criticised the club's management, and finally a display against Chelsea that Murphy branded well below his level.

"I do not know whether he is thinking of leaving, or feeling upset about everything happening around the club, but he has put Carrick in a big dilemma now," he added.

Murphy went even further. He ruled out the Argentine defender returning to the starting line-up once his suspension ends, saying: "I think it is unlikely that Michael will bring him back into the team, if he is still manager by then."

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Murphy's criticism of the Argentine defender was sharp, but he didn't let Carrick off the hook for Manchester United's stuttering start. The deeper problem, he reckoned, ran beyond a shortage of quality in certain positions, reaching into the physical and mental sides too.

He said: "The biggest problem I see at Manchester United right now is not just a lack of quality. Over the past two months, the team has looked physically far from the level we saw at the end of last season."

Poor physical preparation could be behind it, he added, or players switching off mentally and failing to respond to the manager's messages. For Murphy, it's a mix of both, varying from one player to the next.

Can Carrick restore the team's cohesion, fighting spirit and physical levels with this group? Murphy wasn't convinced. And the pressure on the manager keeps building as the poor results pile up.

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