Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez did not hold back on his team following Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid, asserting the squad lacks the strength required to compete in Europe’s premier club competition.
United conceded in the first minute through a goal from Alex Baena, while Ademola Lookman added a second in the 79th minute, sealing a commanding performance for the Spanish side. The loss leaves United with just three victories in nine matches across all competitions this season, marking Michael Carrick’s first full campaign as head coach after assuming the role last winter.
“We’re not playing well as a team,” Martinez stated on the UEFA Champions League Today post-match show. “You can see the disconnection. We can’t [string] three or four passes together, and the body language [is bad]. We missed some chances, we are negative, and yeah, when you play against these teams, especially in Champions League, you can’t miss opportunities and you can’t concede the goal we conceded in the first minutes.”
Martinez emphasized the need for higher standards, arguing that United are capable of more than their current record suggests.
“Trying to be positive and trying to be honest,” he added. “We have to change, to do more. Because we are capable to do better. We have the players. But also, when you watch television and watch the games, you see the players and the managers and you put the finger [and blame them], which is right. We take the responsibility, but also as a club, I expect more. I’m not gonna close my mouth. I expect more. We need more ambition. We need to talk more about winning Champions League, talk more about winning the Premier League instead of other things.”
Martinez, who joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2022, reflected on the team’s ongoing inconsistency throughout his tenure. United’s fluctuations, however, extend beyond his time at the club; their last Premier League title came in the 2012-13 season during Sir Alex Ferguson’s final campaign, a shadow that has persisted since.
“Every season, we’re talking about the same thing,” Martinez said. “Of course, but if we don’t say the truth, nothing will change.”
Atleti manager Diego Simeone also criticized United’s approach, praising his side’s tactical execution. “We knew what they were going to do,” Simeone told the UEFA Champions League Today post-match show. “We needed to find the opposite side from where they started their press … we knew we could find success there. In the first half, we would press their right flank a lot of the times and Baena or Grimaldo would find that space behind to launch an attack and start an important transition like we had in various opportunities. We knew that if we beat their press, we would find ourselves with tons of space to run, like we did with the first goal.”
Martinez reiterated these sentiments in subsequent post-match interviews, delivering particularly pointed remarks during his conversation with Amazon Prime.
“Really poor,” he said. “Really poor. I have to control myself a lot but sometimes is a reflection of the mirror of how is our club at the moment. We did a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top, more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well. Atletico have an amazing team and they deserve to win today. I expect more [investment]. 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]. I have to be honest, as players we have to do more but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night.”
