Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has criticised the club’s management for failing to strengthen the squad adequately despite securing qualification for the UEFA Champions League last season.
Martinez voiced his frustration after United suffered a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, extending their winless run to five matches.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the match, the Argentine defender said the club’s hierarchy needed to invest more in the squad to ensure the team could compete effectively against Europe’s leading sides.
“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,” Martinez said.
He added that he expected greater investment from United’s technical director, Jason Wilcox, while acknowledging that the players also needed to improve their performances.
“I expect more (investment). 100%. I expect more from our technical director,” he said.
“Tonight it is easy to (blame) the coach, easy to say the players but also we have to see other areas.”
United finished third in the Premier League last season to secure a return to the Champions League after a three-year absence. Michael Carrick, who took interim charge following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal in January, won 12 of his 17 matches before being appointed head coach on a permanent two-year contract.
However, the club’s recent performances have raised questions about its readiness for the demands of competing on multiple fronts.
United’s latest defeat came during a difficult spell in which their only other victory in nine matches this season was against newly promoted Ipswich Town at Old Trafford, a game in which they had to recover from a deficit.
Martinez’s criticism comes amid concerns over the club’s summer transfer strategy. United reportedly spent £155m on three midfielders but did not recruit additional striking support for Benjamin Sesko or a left-back to provide competition for Luke Shaw.
The defender argued that the club needed to examine its recruitment and squad-building decisions rather than repeatedly holding managers responsible for poor results.
“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more,” he said.
“Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team.”
United’s minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, attended Tuesday’s match at the Metropolitano Stadium alongside chief executive Omar Berrada.
The club has dismissed two managers in recent seasons despite backing them in the transfer market during the preceding summer. Erik ten Hag was sacked in October 2024, while Amorim left the role in January 2026.
