Dressing room fears emerge at Man United after Lisandro Martinez ‘dropped a bomb’
Michael Carrick’s problems at Manchester United have gone beyond results after Lisandro Martinez publicly criticised the club’s hierarchy following Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.
United were beaten 2-0 in Spain, extending their winless run to five matches in all competitions.
Carrick was already facing questions about performances, but Martinez’s comments about the board and recruitment strategy have now created another unwanted storyline.
Former Premier League scout Bryan King believes the defender’s interview could cause problems inside the dressing room as well as increase the pressure surrounding Carrick.
Martinez comments could ‘drop a bomb’ at Man United
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, King claimed Martinez may face questions from his own teammates after publicly calling out United’s hierarchy.
“That will have dropped a bomb in the dressing room, I can tell you. The other players will be turning to him and saying, ‘why have you said that?’ It will make things worse,” King said.
Martinez had complained about United’s summer recruitment after the Atletico defeat, saying he expected more investment and specifically mentioning technical director Jason Wilcox.
King believes the combination of poor results and internal frustration means Carrick will now truly experience the pressure that comes with managing Man United.
Lisandro Martínez did NOT hold back after United’s loss to Atletico https://t.co/OGo25Pzd30
— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) October 13, 2026
Martinez may have actually strengthened Carrick’s position
(Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Interestingly, Martinez’s criticism was not really aimed at his manager.
As The Guardian reported, the Argentina international questioned whether Carrick had been properly backed and insisted United cannot simply keep changing managers whenever results become difficult.
That is important. Martinez may have created an uncomfortable situation for the board, but his comments also suggest the players still believe in Carrick. His frustration appears to be centred more on squad building than coaching.
United added Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans during the summer, but weaknesses remain at left-back, right-back and in attack.
Carrick therefore has some justification for wanting patience.
However, five matches without a win cannot continue indefinitely. Whether the board agrees with Martinez or dislikes the way he delivered the message, the easiest way for Carrick to calm everything down remains the same: start winning football matches.
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