Manchester United’s Martinez blasts board’s lack of investment

What the report says

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has publicly criticized the club’s board after a 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, saying the squad was not strengthened enough during the summer. Al Jazeera reported that the defeat in Madrid left United winless in five matches across all competitions and marked their worst start to a league season in 40 years.

Martinez said the performance reflected broader problems at the club and argued that more investment was needed after United finished third in the Premier League last season and qualified for Europe’s top competition. He also suggested the issue was not only about the manager, while noting that players still had a responsibility to improve.

The comments came as pressure increases on coach Michael Carrick, though Martinez said he did not believe constant managerial changes were the solution. Carrick said after the match that he had not seen the remarks and could not properly respond, while former United striker Wayne Rooney said Martinez may have gone too far and that such criticism should have remained private.

Al Jazeera also noted that minority owner Jim Ratcliffe attended the match and that United spent about 140 million pounds on three midfielders this summer, but some supporters were frustrated the club did not add a striker or left-back. The episode adds to scrutiny over United’s squad planning and early-season struggles.