Lisandro Martinez has publicly questioned Manchester United’s summer transfer business following our 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, directly challenging technical director Jason Wilcox over the club’s failure to strengthen sufficiently.
The Argentine defender was visibly frustrated after United suffered another disappointing result, with the defeat increasing pressure on Michael Carrick following a difficult start to the campaign.
Martinez argued that responsibility for United’s struggles extends beyond the manager and players, pointing instead towards decisions made above them.
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. Atletico have an amazing team and they deserved to win today.
I expect more [investment]. 100%. 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 this kind of night. Tonight it is easy to [blame] the coach, easy to say the players but also we have to see other areas.
United invested approximately £160 million in new players during the summer transfer window, with Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans accounting for £155 million of that expenditure. However, all three were midfielders, leaving other positions without significant reinforcements.
By comparison, Manchester City spent approximately £458 million, Chelsea £340 million, Tottenham £312 million, Newcastle £273 million and Liverpool £243 million. United’s net expenditure was approximately £103 million, the seventh-highest in the Premier League.
However, the concern isn’t simply how much United spent, but whether their recruitment adequately prepared them for the demands of the new season.
Last season, United had no European football, allowing Carrick considerably more time between matches to prepare his players and manage their fitness. Having secured Champions League qualification through a third-place finish, United now face at least eight additional fixtures in the league phase alone, with potentially more should they progress.
That makes squad depth considerably more important. Injuries, suspensions and fatigue become increasingly difficult to manage when players are required to compete twice a week, particularly against Europe’s strongest opposition.
United’s failure to strengthen at left-back, despite concerns over Luke Shaw’s fitness, has already attracted criticism, while questions remain about the depth of their attacking options.
Martinez’s comments will undoubtedly attract attention because players rarely criticise their own club’s recruitment strategy so publicly. But our fanbase can be pleased that someone is speaking out about the disappointing transfer window.
The post Lisandro Martinez takes aim at United hierarchy after Atletico defeat first appeared on Republik Of Mancunia: A Manchester United Blog.
