Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez refused to hold back after his team's 0-2 loss against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. United's latest result deepens their struggles, having now gone five matches without a win. The pressure is mounting on manager Michael Carrick, who faces growing questions over his future.
Atletico took control in the opening minute, with Pablo Barrios opening the scoring at the Metropolitano before Ademola Lookman's strike in the 79th minute sealed the win for Atletico. Manchester United struggled to match their opponents, and Leny Yoro's sending-off only made matters worse.
Lisandro did not hide his frustration after the loss, admitting that the club needs to bring in more players to keep pace with their rivals. The defender acknowledged that United had enjoyed a fantastic season last time around, but believes more needs to be done to help the team.
Deep Dive
What did Lisandro Martinez say about Manchester United’s technical director?
Why does Lisandro Martinez want Manchester United to sign more players?
How did Manchester United lose to Atletico Madrid?
“I have to control myself a lot. But sometimes it’s a reflection in the mirror of how is our club at the moment,” Martinez said after the loss. “We had a fantastic season last season. And now we expect more from the top, from up, to bring more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well. Atletico have an amazing team, and they deserved to win today," he added.
The World Cup-winning defender did not shy away from singling out club director of football Jason Wilcox, saying United needed more signings to compete in the Champions League.
{{/usCountry}}The World Cup-winning defender did not shy away from singling out club director of football Jason Wilcox, saying United needed more signings to compete in the Champions League.
{{/usCountry}}“I expect more from our technical director. I would have to be honest, as the players, we have to do more, but it’s just important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night," he added.
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Martinez disappointed
Manchester United spent around $213 million on players, including Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, during the summer transfer window. However, they have endured a difficult start to the season.
Martinez also criticised United's performance, saying the team had built a strong foundation last season but failed to show the same determination against Atletico.
“Last season we did everything, we create the base to be an amazing team,” Martinez said. “It's annoying, disappointing to come here and I'm not seeing my team trying to get an amazing result here, it's disappointing.”
“You start changing, changing, changing manager. But what about other areas?” Martinez said. “I can’t say more.”