Peter Schmeichel believes Lisandro Martinez is trying to engineer his own exit from Old Trafford. The Dane, a pundit on Premier League Productions, used his slot after Saturday’s loss at Stamford Bridge to tie Martinez’s behaviour over the past fortnight to a defensive display that handed Chelsea the three points.
Chelsea won 2-0 through Morgan Rogers in the 50th minute and a Cole Palmer penalty in the 64th. Martinez had already been booked for pulling Rogers back when he was shown a second yellow at a Chelsea corner for leading with a raised arm into Wesley Fofana’s face, with video review confirming both the dismissal and the spot kick that followed.
Schmeichel’s verdict was unsparing.
“Two weeks ago, he came out and made some very, very strong statements against his teammates, against the football club, and it felt like he was trying to orchestrate a move,” he told Premier League Productions.
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The ‘orchestration’ claim
Schmeichel was referring to Martinez’s post-match comments earlier in October, when the defender used an interview after the Champions League loss to Atlético Madrid to question the hierarchy’s summer recruitment. Tying that outburst to the Fofana incident, the Dane told Premier League Productions it “just shows you he’s not a suitable player for Manchester United”.
Martinez’s contract runs until summer 2027 with a club option for a further year. TeamTalk reports, via Yahoo Sports, that Barcelona have made enquiries about the 28-year-old, who has indicated to his club he is ready to move on.
Carrick’s grip loosens again
Head coach Michael Carrick had been publicly backed to take charge at Stamford Bridge earlier in the week. He left London one point above the relegation zone, with one league win in nine matches and United’s longest winless run across all competitions since 1988.
“Things have gone against us, and gone against us in a big way. It unraveled quickly,” Carrick said, per the Associated Press.
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United host Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday.
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