Lisandro Martínez has criticised Manchester United’s board over what he considers insufficient investment in the squad, following the club’s 2-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

The Argentine defender questioned the club’s wider direction after the loss in Madrid, which extended United’s winless run to five matches across all competitions and intensified scrutiny of manager Michael Carrick.

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Asked about United’s performance, Martínez told Amazon Prime: “Really poor.”

He added that the team’s struggles reflected broader concerns about the club’s current situation, suggesting that responsibility for the disappointing results should not rest solely with the players or coaching staff.

Martínez said he had expected Manchester United to invest more heavily in the squad during the summer transfer window after finishing third in the Premier League last season and securing a return to Europe’s premier club competition.

“I expect more from our technical director (Jason Wilcox), I have to be honest,” he said. “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.”

The defender argued that the club had made progress in building a competitive team last season but had not followed through sufficiently in the subsequent transfer window.

United reportedly spent around £140 million on midfielders Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.

However, supporters have expressed concern about the lack of reinforcements in other positions, including left-back and striker.

The criticism comes at a difficult moment for Carrick, whose team has struggled to find consistency.

Despite the growing pressure on the manager, Martínez cautioned against making another coaching change, arguing that other areas of the club also required scrutiny.

“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more,” he said.

“Tonight it is easy to say the coach (is to blame), easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas.”

Manchester United minority owner Jim Ratcliffe was present at the stadium to watch the Champions League defeat, placing the club’s performance and recruitment decisions under further scrutiny.

Carrick said after the match that he had not heard Martínez’s comments and therefore could not offer a direct assessment of them.

He suggested the defender’s remarks may have been influenced by the disappointment of the result.

“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,” Carrick said.

Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney, however, felt Martínez had gone too far by airing his concerns publicly.

“I think he’s maybe gone a bit too far, and that should have stayed internal,” Rooney told Amazon Prime.

Rooney acknowledged that Martínez clearly wanted the club to strengthen the squad but suggested that speaking publicly about the issue could have consequences for the defender himself.

The defeat in Madrid has added to the uncertainty surrounding United’s campaign, with questions now extending beyond performances on the pitch to recruitment, leadership and the club’s long-term direction.