Lisandro Martinez has criticised Manchester United’s senior leadership after the club’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid extended their winless sequence to five matches.
Key takeaways
- United have not won since beating Sabah FK on 10 September.
- Their only other victory in nine fixtures came after a comeback against promoted Ipswich Town at Old Trafford.
- Martinez called for greater backing from the club’s decision-makers, including technical director Jason Wilcox.
- United invested £155m in three midfielders during the summer but did not add attacking cover or a left-back challenger.
- The Argentina international has entered the final year of his current United deal without agreeing fresh terms.
Martinez calls for stronger squad building
Tuesday’s loss in Madrid left United without a victory in five games. Their last success came against Azerbaijani titleholders Sabah FK on 10 September, while their only other triumph across nine matches this season was a home win over newly promoted Ipswich, achieved after falling behind.
The poor sequence follows a campaign in which United finished third in the Premier League, securing a place back in the Champions League for the first time in three years.
Michael Carrick won 12 of his 17 matches as interim manager after Ruben Amorim was dismissed in January. That run persuaded the club to hand the former United midfielder a permanent two-year appointment as head coach.
Martinez said United needed more recruitment support after building the platform last season.
“Last season was fantastic, so now we want more from the people at the top,” Martinez said. “We need more players who can compete because other clubs are also signing plenty of players.
“Atletico are an excellent side and they deserved their victory today.
“I expect more investment, absolutely. I expect more from our technical director, Jason Wilcox.
“We players must also give more, I have to be honest. But having a strong squad is vital if you want to be prepared for nights like this.
“It is easy tonight to blame the coach or to point at the players, but we also have to look at other parts of the club.”
Recruitment concerns and board pressure
Martinez’s position reflects concerns voiced by outside commentators and figures within Old Trafford. United’s summer business has drawn particular scrutiny because they did not recruit a striker to support Benjamin Sesko or bring in a left-back capable of competing with Luke Shaw.
Instead, the club spent £155m on three midfield signings, with no additions made in other areas of the squad.
Minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe watched the Atletico match alongside United chief executive Omar Berrada at the Metropolitano Stadium.
United have changed managers in each of the past two seasons despite providing them with transfer backing in the preceding summer. Erik ten Hag was removed in October 2024, while Amorim left his post in January 2026.
“You cannot just keep changing manager after manager after manager,” Martinez said. “What about the other areas? I cannot say any more.
“We did everything last season. We put the foundations in place to build a great team.”
The defender’s remarks were similar to those made last season by his Argentina team-mate Cristian Romero, who publicly questioned Tottenham’s board. Romero was on the Atletico side against United following his summer transfer to Spain.
Martinez has one year remaining on his Manchester United contract and has not yet reached an agreement over a new deal.
