Can Carrick Survive the Manchester United Crisis Laid Bare by Lisandro Martinez?

Forty-seven seconds. That is all Atlético needed to expose Manchester United in Madrid, and everything after it, a Leny Yoro red card, an Ademola Lookman dagger, and a 2-0 defeat, only confirmed what that opening minute had shown. 

Lisandro Martinez then picked up the microphone and set fire to the board, calling the squad not Champions League quality and pointing straight at technical director Jason Wilcox.

He is half right. United have spent over £1bn since 2022 and carry the highest net spend in the Premier League across the last decade, so the players cannot hide behind the board, and a club that keeps changing managers has no right to be surprised when nothing sticks. 

Will Michael Carrick survive the latest drama at United? 

Martinez Torches the Board: “Not a Champions League Quality Squad”

Lisandro Martinez had barely left the pitch when he went on Amazon Prime and aimed straight at the people above Carrick. He singled out technical director Jason Wilcox, said he expected more investment in the summer, and called United's squad not Champions League quality. He said last season’s third-place finish created a base but nobody built on it.

Carrick does his best, Martinez added, but he was “not gonna close my mouth”. In plain terms, he asked how long players and managers keep wearing the blame for decisions made above them.

It is a fair question for a club that has gone through Ten Hag, Amorim and Carrick in two years. Wayne Rooney called the interview disrespectful to his teammates, and neither Carrick nor Youri Tielemans would comment on it afterwards. 

Forty Seven Seconds: Atlético Showed United Exactly Who They Are

United were behind after 47 seconds. A simple ball over the top cut them open, Alex Baena squared it, and Pablo Barrios squeezed it past Ayden Heaven on the line. It was the fourth time United have conceded in the opening minute of a Champions League game.

United tried to make a game after that. Bruno Fernandes hit the post, Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford wasted what little they were given, and Senne Lammens kept them in the tie. 

They were also lucky when Johnny Cardoso’s goal on the stroke of half-time was ruled out for Marcos Llorente’s handball in the build-up.

The fact right now is that Manchester United do not look like a threat from any angle, and it didn’t change in this tie as well; they did put up a fight after conceding, but even that didn’t last as Leny Yoro, a £52m signing (Ahem, Lisandro Martinez), was sent off in the 74th minute for bringing down Jonathan David, a red card Sky called soft. Ademola Lookman turned into an empty net five minutes later, and the contest was over.

United Have Spent Over £1bn, So Who Is Underinvesting?

Martinez’s words need context. He has a point on balance, because only 19% of the £1bn United have spent since 2022 went on defenders, and the club carries heavy debt, so no single window fixes everything. Even so, the claim that United have not invested doesn't stand up to the numbers.

Transfermarkt’s decade figures put United’s net spend at about £1.16bn, the only Premier League club past £1bn, ahead of Arsenal (£961m), Chelsea (£907m) and Manchester City (£893m). Sky’s figures show United have spent over £1bn since 2022 and have the highest net spend of any Premier League club in that time, at £769.5m. This summer alone brought a midfield rebuild: Carlos Baleba (£65m), Andrey Santos (£48m), and Tielemans (£35m).

Look at who is on the pitch. The back line is Matthijs de Ligt (£38.5m), Harry Maguire (£80m), Martinez himself and Yoro, all expensive. Andre Onana cost £43.8m, rising to £47.2m, and failed, and Lammens (£18.2m) looks okay without being a world-beater, so the goalkeeper is the least of the problems.

Matheus Cunha (£62.5m), Mbeumo (£65m), and Sesko (£66.3m) weren't cheap either, and Sesko is used mostly as an impact player and was injured in Madrid. Rasmus Højlund cost £64m, was sold to Napoli for £38m, and Joshua Zirkzee (£36.5m) hasn't started a league game this season. 

These multimillion-pound signings have failed under every manager, and Martinez’s own line about players taking responsibility should apply to them too.

The board needs to get one thing right: PATIENCE. Arsenal backed Mikel Arteta through more than six years, including three straight second-place finishes, until they won the league in May. 

Liverpool backed Jürgen Klopp for nearly four years before the Champions League arrived. United hire a manager, sack him within two years, and start again, so the board must hire one, back him, and give him time, or there will be a mutiny in the not-so-distant future, as it was against the Glazers.

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