Manchester United lost 2-0 at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, and Martinez did not try to hide where he thought the problem lived in the aftermath of a result that extended a wretched run under Michael Carrick.
“I expect more from our technical director, I have to be honest,” the Argentina defender told Amazon Prime, referring to Jason Wilcox by role rather than name. He then turned on the club’s reflex of swapping head coaches every time things go wrong.
“You keep changing managers but what about other areas?” he said to Amazon Prime.
A player naming an executive
Players attacking their own club in a mixed-zone interview is unusual. Naming the technical director is almost unheard of. Wilcox has been one of the public faces of United’s football operation under the current ownership structure, and Martinez placed the responsibility for the squad’s limits directly at his door.
Read also: Real Madrid close in on Man Utd wonderkid as January transfer takes major step forward
“We had a fantastic season last season and I expect more from the top to bring more players to compete because many teams bring many players,” he said.
Martinez also described the display as “really poor” and said he had to “control myself a lot,” framing the performance as “a reflection in the mirror of our club at this moment.”
Rooney and Carragher turn on Martinez
The reaction from the studios was almost unanimous. Wayne Rooney, working on Amazon Prime, said Martinez had crossed a line.
“He’s disrespecting his teammates,” the former United captain said. “It’s not going to help the situation at the club at the minute.”
Read also: ‘It has never been done’: Arteta keeps Arsenal’s Champions League ambition in check
Jamie Carragher, on CBS Sports’ Champions League panel, called the interview “awful” and warned the comments would dominate the news cycle at exactly the wrong moment for the dressing room.
Carrick, asked for his own view, declined. “After a game like this you are disappointed and can be emotional. I have not seen it so I don’t think it is the right time,” the head coach said.
A struggling season
The context around the outburst makes it heavier. United have won only two of nine matches this season, and pressure on Carrick was already building before Martinez stepped in front of the microphone. The squad was reshaped last summer with major spending on new signings, and Martinez’s point, in effect, is that the churn is at the wrong level.
The contract problem
The defender is in the final year of his deal at Old Trafford, and the interview carries an obvious reading for his own future. Sportbible reports that the club could consider sanctions ranging from exclusion from the squad for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Leeds United to a fine for breaching media guidelines.
Read also: Antonio Conte eyes Man Utd hotseat with Michael Carrick one defeat from the sack
United travel to Elland Road on Saturday.
Read also: Man City scandal: Questions mount over Burnham’s links to Abu Dhabi hierarchy
