According to a report by Citi FM on Saturday October 17, 2026, Sports pundit Yaw Adjei-Mintah has weighed into the ongoing debate surrounding Manchester United, delivering a strong response to Lisandro Martínez’s criticism of the club’s board.

Adjei-Mintah expressed reservations about Martínez speaking out against the club’s leadership, arguing that the defender should first reflect on his own performances before directing criticism at those responsible for managing the club.

In his assessment, Adjei-Mintah suggested that he would have been more receptive to such criticism if it had come from Bruno Fernandes, whom he appears to regard as a more acceptable figure to lead that conversation.

The pundit did not hold back in expressing his position, making it clear that he disagreed with Martínez’s approach to addressing the club’s problems.

"If the criticism had come from Bruno Fernandes, I would be okay with it. But Lisandro Martínez must check his performance before coming out to attack the board. As for this one, I will kill the messenger.”

His remarks reflect a wider debate over accountability at Manchester United, where questions about the club’s leadership, sporting direction and performances have continued to attract attention from supporters and football commentators.

Adjei-Mintah’s comments suggest that, in his view, players who publicly challenge the club’s board should also be prepared to face scrutiny over their own contributions on the pitch.

Martínez, an Argentine international defender, has been an important figure in Manchester United’s squad, while Fernandes serves as the club’s captain and has a prominent leadership role within the team.

The distinction Adjei-Mintah makes between the two players centres on who he believes should be leading criticism of the club’s hierarchy.

By identifying Fernandes as someone whose criticism he would accept, the pundit appears to place greater weight on the Portuguese midfielder’s standing when it comes to speaking about the club’s direction.

His statement, however, does not establish that Fernandes has made the same criticism or that the Manchester United board has formally responded to the concerns attributed to Martínez.

The controversy highlights the complicated relationship between players and club management, particularly at a high-profile club where poor results or uncertainty over sporting decisions can intensify pressure on everyone involved.

For supporters, disagreements over the club’s leadership often raise questions about who should be held responsible for disappointing performances and what changes are needed to improve the team's fortunes.

Players, meanwhile, can find themselves caught between expressing concerns about the club’s direction and accepting responsibility for results on the field.

Adjei-Mintah’s intervention adds another perspective to that debate, shifting attention towards the responsibility of individual players when they criticise the institution they represent.

His use of the phrase “I will kill the messenger” appears to emphasise his intention to challenge the person delivering the criticism rather than accept the criticism itself.

In this context, the phrase is being used rhetorically to express his strong disagreement with Martínez’s position.

The comments are likely to generate further discussion among Manchester United supporters and football followers, particularly those debating whether players should publicly challenge the board or focus on improving performances on the pitch.

For now, Adjei-Mintah has made his position clear: he would have accepted criticism from Fernandes, but believes Martínez should assess his own performances before questioning the club’s leadership.