Match of the Day pundits Danny Murphy and Stephan Warnock analyse Lisandro Martinez’s performance in Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, where the Argentinian defender was sent off.
MATCH REPORT: Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United
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Manchester United manager Michael Carrick left the Old Trafford pitch on Sunday to the sound of his name being sung by the adoring home support, but he may never lead the team onto the field again.
His players followed him and the message delivered to them and the club captain Bruno Fernandes, who was an unused substitute, was quite different.
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The 3-0 thumping by Bournemouth was a result that marked a 40-year low for the crisis club and plunged it to new depths – and the fans were determined to let United’s owners and playing staff know it.
The opening seven league matches marked United’s worst start since 1986. The latest defeat, their sixth of the season, leaves the club just a point above the relegation zone and without a win in eight matches in all competitions.
Fernandes, the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Year last season, was left among the substitutes on Sunday as a result of criticising Carrick after Wednesday’s 4-1 humiliation at Como in the UEFA Champions League.
The Portuguese player has been the Red Devils’ darling since he arrived in 2020, and seemed to have sealed his place as a club legend in a time of darkness with his accolade achieved on the back of United’s third-place finish, which they have only twice bettered in 13 years.
The award came as a result of his record number of assists in a Premier League season – all the more impressive in a side that lacked a spark anywhere else on the pitch.
The upturn in fortunes under Carrick’s interim position last term, when he replaced Ruben Amorim in January, resulted in his full-time appointment in the summer.
A tenure that may now have run its course, with him and United’s best player seemingly at loggerheads.
The United fans are famously loyal to their managers and players. Boos for anyone associated with the home side at Old Trafford were relatively unheard of until the last two seasons.
Now the boss receiving the adulation on exiting one of world football’s greatest stages – the Theatre of Dreams – may be the one on whom the curtain is being pulled.
Fernandes is no villain in this piece, but United’s fans have delivered a clear message directly to the heart of the dressing room – sending it via the player who could do no wrong in the eyes of the supporters will leave the ears of every member of the squad ringing.
Enough is enough.
Outplayed is one thing, but being outrun and outfought is another.
United’s history has been one of rebuilds and comebacks. They have known difficult days – their most successful manager Sir Alex Ferguson was on the verge of the sack in 1990 before winning the FA Cup and beginning one of the greatest runs of trophy-laden eras in football.
Their wait for a league title stretched from 1967 – and the Holy Trinity of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law – to 1994, when Ferguson’s inspired signing of Eric Cantona ignited glory days even the biggest club in the world at the time had never seen.
Now, United are on the edge of a precipice – quite literally if the gap to the drop zone is even to be realistically contemplated. Perhaps United’s cross-town rivals City won’t be the only Manchester club facing relegation this season.
That is demise no one is truly considering yet.
They are, however, at a crossroads – and the divide between Carrick and Fernandes – his captain, who criticised the tactics that stopped United pressing their Italian opponents in midweek, is likely to see the axe fall on the manager rather than a valuable asset.
“Manchester United need to make the change tonight (Sunday),” former England team-mate of Carrick, Jamie Carragher, told British broadcaster Sky Sports when asked if a sacking was needed.
“The fans have taken the side of the manager, which is not about him being the manager, it’s about him being a huge figure in United’s history – and those players have done nothing compared to teams of the past.
“So Carrick is always going to win that fight – and rightly so – with Fernandes, no matter how talented a player he is.
“But also United – one of the biggest clubs in the world – are 16th in the table right now and that can’t happen – it can’t continue and Carrick needs to be relieved of his duties.
“He wants to be sacked. It’s become untenable. He doesn’t want to be sat in the dugout with those players.
“Imagine going into training with Fernandes after not bringing him on? It’s a rancid dressing room. He wants to be put out of his misery.”
Gary Neville, former Manchester United defender and team-mate of Carrick’s for club and country, added: “Carrick is popular, but the owners, the sporting department and the players are not.
“They will probably make a decision that will disgust United fans, but it is probably necessary.
“The club is a mess.”
The final word of the day belongs to the man in the middle of a power battle that has seen him win the popular vote, but one that is unlikely to sway the United hierarchy.
“I take the responsibility,” Carrick said in the post-match news conference. “I totally understand the situation, I’m not expecting anything, I’m carrying on as normal and I love this place.”
In something of a reference to dropping the club captain and the response he received from the crowd at the end, Carrick continued: “I always do what I feel is going to be the best for the club, whatever decision is made.
“I’ve tried to do everything I can to not be in this position and for a number of reasons, whatever they are, we’ve not been able to stop that happening to the position we’re in.
“I’ve always felt that support and always felt that connection with the [fans].
“I have to say it is mixed emotions, I didn’t really expect that from the supporters. The respect that I have for them and for them to show that back meant an awful lot.”
Emotions are running high at Old Trafford and, even though Carrick denied it, his fanfare at the end may well prove to have been his farewell.
The Theatre of Dreams has become a house of horrors – for the 11th manager since Ferguson retired and with United’s last Premier League title now stretching back to 2013.
‘I have not given my own position any thought’, Carrick said after United’s 4-1 loss to Como in the Champions League.
Published On 22 Oct 202622 Oct 2026
Michael Carrick has admitted that Manchester United were difficult to watch during an “unacceptable” 4-1 Champions League thrashing by Como, but insists he is not concerned about losing his job as manager.
The three-time European champions were outclassed by the Italian debutants at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Wednesday, as the embarrassing defeat extended their winless run to seven matches in all competitions.
Carrick’s position has come under scrutiny amid United’s slump, which has included their worst start to a league season for 40 years, but he told a news conference that he was not fearing for his position.
“I have not given my own position any thought,” Carrick said.
The Old Trafford boss insisted that his apology to the travelling fans at the end of the game held no extra significance as pressure builds on his position.
“I always go over to the fans regardless,” Carrick said.
“It wasn’t a particularly different reason why I went over. I think it’s the appreciation and acknowledgement of what they have gone through and what they have done over a period of a few weeks now. But particularly tonight.”
United fell behind within two minutes to a Nico Paz goal, becoming the first English team ever to concede in the opening two minutes of two consecutive major European matches, having gone behind one minute into a 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid last week.
Cesc Fabregas’s side romped into a deserved 4-0 lead in northern Italy before substitute Joshua Zirkzee pulled back a stoppage-time consolation and Carrick admitted he was alarmed by the manner in which his team were outplayed.
“For us to play in that way, it’s not acceptable,” he said. “It wasn’t a good performance at all. We wanted to build on what we brought and the performance we had at Leeds.
“That bit of intensity, that spirit, that aggression, that real willingness to give everything. Tonight was the total opposite performance. I have to say, it was tough to watch.”
“There’s a lot going through my mind, watching that,” he continued. “Genuinely, it’s difficult to understand how it can be so different [from the Leeds performance].
“It shouldn’t be like that. We can all play well, we can all have poor performances, but to do it in that manner is really not right at all.”
Next up for Carrick’s side is a home Premier League game against Bournemouth on Sunday.
“I’m frustrated, more than frustrated, I’m really angry, to be honest,” Carrick said.
“You’ve got to move on, you’ve got to deal with what’s next and see what that looks like. At this moment in time, there’s a lot to do before that next game to get the team ready because that was a difficult night for everyone tonight.”
Manchester United manager’s troubles grow as seven players are out injured before a Champions League trip to Como.
Published On 21 Oct 202621 Oct 2026
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick says he needs no reassurances from the club’s hierarchy as he knows winning games is the only way to silence speculation over his future.
Before a Champions League trip to Italian side Como on Wednesday, United have won just two of their 10 games in all competitions this season.
The Red Devils are off to their worst start to an English top-flight campaign in 40 years, having been knocked out of the League Cup by Brighton last month and comfortably beaten by Atletico Madrid last week in the Champions League.
Carrick was appointed manager on a permanent basis in May only after an impressive spell as interim boss in the second half of last season.
But he has quickly become just the latest manager under pressure at Old Trafford at a club that has fallen from grace since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
“I know we’ve got to win football games for everything to flow and everything to fit into place. That’s the great thing about it; we can do something about it,” Carrick told his pre-match news conference in Italy.
“I don’t need any reassurance. It’s pretty clear.
“I know the role, I know the responsibilities. I don’t need anyone else to kind of tell me that or tell me when it’s going well or when it needs to be better. I know that myself.”
Carrick’s hopes of turning things around have not been aided by a growing injury list.
Lisandro Martinez started Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Leeds, despite his stinging criticism of the club’s lack of transfer activity following the defeat at Atletico, but had to be replaced at half time.
The Argentinian international will miss the trip to Como, as will Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven.
Lisandro Martinez meets with his Manchester Untied manager Michael Carrick before apologizing for criticism of the club.
Published On 15 Oct 202615 Oct 2026
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez apologised on Thursday for criticising the club’s hierarchy following their Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid, after holding talks with manager Michael Carrick and senior officials.
Martinez met Carrick and club executives after training, two days after saying the club needed greater investment to help the team compete at the highest level following Tuesday’s 2-0 loss.
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“Today I met with the club’s leadership and the manager,” Martinez said in an Instagram post, in his second statement since the interview.
“It was a very positive conversation where we were able to exchange views and speak openly about what happened after Tuesday’s game.”
A club source said that any internal disciplinary action would remain private, adding that it had been Martinez’s decision to apologise publicly and that all parties considered the matter closed.
British media, including the BBC, reported that United fined the defender over the outburst.
Martinez acknowledged that his frustration following the defeat had got the better of him and apologised for choosing the wrong moment to air his feelings.
“Everyone knows that I am a passionate person and that I live football with great intensity,” he said.
“The frustration of the defeat led me to express how I felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones, and for that I want to apologise.”
The Argentina international had singled out director of football Jason Wilcox in the post-game interview, saying United needed more signings to compete with their rivals and build a squad capable of challenging in Europe.
Martinez said his comments had not reflected the unity required at Old Trafford and stressed his belief that everyone at the club was working towards the same goal.
“Our club is at its best when we are all united, and I recognise that my words in that moment did not help with that,” he said.
“I know that every single person at Manchester United is doing everything possible to achieve our shared ambition, bringing the success that this club and its supporters deserve.”
Martinez finished his statement by drawing a line under the episode.
“With this situation now behind us, we are fully focused on winning together.”
United are 13th in the Premier League after six games in their worst start in 40 years. They travel to seventh-placed Leeds United on Sunday.
Following the loss to Atletico, Martinez said he expected more investment in the Manchester United squad and “more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]”.
The 28-year-old later said he “spoke out of anger and frustration” in making those comments and that he had “belief in my team-mates, our manager and everyone working to help this club move forward”.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, speaking on The Overlap podcast,, external described the situation at his former club as “a bit of a circus”.
Martinez’s statement on Thursday added: “Our club is at its best when we are all united, and I recognise that my words in that moment did not help with that.
“I know that every single person at Manchester United is doing everything possible to achieve our shared ambition: bringing the success that this club and its supporters deserve.
“With this situation now behind us, we are fully focused on winning together.”
It remains to be seen whether Carrick selects Martinez for the trip to Leeds.
Nevertheless, there is understood to be significant doubt over the centre-back’s long-term future at Old Trafford.
His current deal expires at the end of the season but the club have the option of extending it by 12 months.
While the issue over his recent comments is now considered closed, the club are still to decide whether they want to trigger the contract option.
Manchester United beaten 2-0 at Atletico Madrid, but defender Lisandro Martinez slams club’s failure to invest in team.
Published On 13 Oct 202613 Oct 2026
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez blasted the club’s board for a perceived lack of investment this summer, after the team were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.
United are winless in five games across all competitions after the 2-0 defeat in the Spanish capital and have made their worst start to a league season in 40 years.
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“Really poor,” Martinez told Amazon Prime when asked about the team’s performance against Atletico.
“I have to control myself a lot but sometimes is a reflection… [or] mirror of how our club is at the moment.”
Martinez said he “100 percent” expected more investment in the squad over the summer after United finished third in the Premier League last season and returned to Europe’s top competition.
“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 these kind of nights,” he continued.
Martinez said last season the club had “created the base to create an amazing team”, but they did not follow through.
Pressure is mounting on coach Michael Carrick after five games without a win, but Martinez suggested sacking the Englishman was not the way forward.
“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more,” said Martinez.
“Tonight it is easy to say the coach [is to blame], easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas.”
Red Devils minority owner Jim Ratcliffe was at the stadium to watch the league-phase defeat by last season’s semi-finalists.
Man United spent around 140 million pounds ($185m) this summer on midfielders Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, but fans were upset the club did not reinforce other positions, including left-back and striker.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Carrick said he had not heard Martinez’s comments and so could not judge them.
“I think it’s a little bit on the emotions of the game as well, of coming here and being disappointed not to get something from the game,” said the coach.
Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney said Martinez’s criticism was excessive.
“I think he’s maybe gone a bit too far, and that should have stayed internal,” Rooney told Amazon Prime.
“You can clearly see that he cares and he wants the club to invest more money in more players, and to do that he’s probably one of the players who’ll be out the door if I’m being honest.”