Lisandro Martínez delivered a scathing assessment of Manchester United’s leadership following a 2–0 Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid in Spain, publicly questioning the club’s transfer ambitions and putting sporting director Jason Wilcox under pressure. Speaking to Prime Video after the match, the 28-year-old defender admitted he had to struggle to keep his emotions in check, stating that the team’s struggles mirror the current state of the club.

Lisandro Martínez Directs Criticism at Sporting Director Jason Wilcox

The defeat in Madrid compounded a difficult start to the campaign for Manchester United, who sit in the bottom half of Premier League spending compared to their domestic rivals. According to reporting from  Sport Bild, the club invested just over €173 million on new players during the summer window—bringing in Carlos Baleba for nearly €76 million, Andrey Santos for slightly over €56 million, and Youri Tielemans for €41 million. Despite those additions, Martínez argued that the recruitment has fallen short of what is required to compete at the highest level.

When asked by Prime Video if the squad currently lacks Champions League quality, Martínez offered a blunt reply. “To be honest, I expect more. I expect more,” the defender said, before explicitly pointing toward the club’s management structure. “I expect more from our sporting director.” Jason Wilcox, 55, oversees football operations at Old Trafford, having directed the summer spending spree that Martínez has now publicly deemed insufficient.

Manager Michael Carrick Retains Backing from the Dressing Room

While the defensive stalwart took aim at the boardroom, he pointedly shielded manager Michael Carrick from blame. Carrick took over as interim coach before being appointed on a permanent basis in May, signing a contract that runs through 2028. Manchester United has managed just two wins from nine matches across all competitions this season and enters the fixture without a victory in their last five outings.

Martínez defended the coaching staff, emphasizing that constant turnover on the touchline does not solve deeper structural issues. “He is doing his best,” Martínez said of Carrick. “It’s always easy to criticize the coach or the players. You can’t keep changing the coach, changing, changing. But what about the other areas?” Carrick, speaking to reporters after the match, indicated he had not yet seen his defender’s post-match television interview and declined to overreact to the emotional comments made immediately following a disappointing European defeat.

Financial Disparity and Domestic Struggles

Manchester United returned to the Champions League this season after a three-year absence, securing their place following a fourth-place Premier League finish last term. However, the current domestic campaign has brought early friction, yielding only six points from their opening six league matches. In Europe, their group stage record stands at one win—a 4–0 victory against FK Sabah from Azerbaijan—alongside the recent loss in Madrid.

Market comparisons underscore the frustration voiced by the Argentine international. While United’s €173 million outlay sounds substantial, it placed them 11th in Premier League summer spending, far behind Manchester City’s league-leading €526 million investment, though ahead of clubs like Sunderland at the bottom of the spending table with €70 million. Carrick stressed that the squad must pull together internally to reverse their current five-match winless run.