Martinez criticises Manchester United leadership as Wilcox is targeted again
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club and its technical director Jason Wilcox after a 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid. The club says Wilcox's job is safe.
English football club Manchester United have been pulled into another internal row after defender Lisandro Martinez publicly criticised the club's leadership and technical director Jason Wilcox following a 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid. The episode adds pressure on head coach Michael Carrick, whose side are five games without a win.
What was said
Speaking to US broadcaster CBS, in an interview conducted by former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, the Argentina defender refused four times to move away from the subject of the summer transfer window. He said the squad is not the best compared with other top teams and that the club needs more ambition. Of the technical director, he said: "I expect more from our technical director."
Three players arrived in the summer: Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba. Dressing room sources told BBC Sport more signings were needed, particularly at left-back and striker. Another source described the situation at the club as "a mess".
Fallout at the club
Martinez's contract expires at the end of the season, and United hold an option to extend it by a year. It is unclear whether his outspokenness is an attempt to ensure that option is not used. Carrick will face questions before Sunday's trip to Leeds United, while Tielemans answered "no comment" when asked about the issue.
Club sources say Wilcox, 55, is not at risk of losing his job. The recruitment department is preparing January targets, as it is accepted that the decision not to sign competition for left-back Luke Shaw and support for striker Benjamin Sesko was flawed. Sesko is out indefinitely.
Background
Wilcox was also in the spotlight about 10 months ago, when then-head coach Ruben Amorim complained publicly after a match at Leeds about the sporting department; he was sacked less than 24 hours later. This summer's spending totalled £155m, and fan trust in the club's minority owners, including Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is eroding.
