Manchester United's players fell silent after their 1-1 draw with Leeds United, and it raised eyebrows across the board. Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha claimed they weren't permitted to speak to the press. The timing was telling, coming hot on the heels of Lisandro Martinez's explosive comments against the club's management following the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Asked to speak to journalists in the mixed zone after the match, Fernandes and Cunha both declined. They said they didn't have permission, a sharp break from how United players usually conduct themselves after games.
Lisandro Martinez's bombshell
The silence followed a blistering television interview from Martinez after United's 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid. He tore into the club's management, including sporting director Jason Wilcox, over what he saw as poor handling of the summer transfer market.
United fined Martinez for his comments. He later apologised after air-clearing talks, then featured against Leeds, where the fans backed him before an injury forced him off in the first half.
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Did Manchester United officially ban their players from speaking?
According to the Mirror, the players' silence may suggest they were asked to stay quiet for fear of a repeat of the scathing criticism Martinez delivered. The report added: "However, the available information suggests that no direct order was issued by the club's media team banning the players from addressing the written press after the match".
That draw stretched United's winless run in the Premier League to five matches. They have won just once all season, against newly promoted Ipswich back in August, and have managed only two wins from ten matches across all competitions.
Not since the end of the 2018-2019 season have United gone six matches without a win in all competitions. It's also been 40 years since they won just one of their first seven league games at the start of a campaign.
Michael Carrick's side face Cesc Fabregas's Como on Wednesday in the third round of the Champions League league phase. Bournemouth then visit in the Premier League next Sunday.