Lisandro Martinez’s criticism of Manchester United’s hierarchy has sparked a sharp reaction from former captain Roy Keane, who described the club as “like a circus.” The Argentine defender, who joined United from Ajax in 2022, took to social media after the team’s 2‑0 loss to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, a defeat that extended United’s winless run to five matches. Martinez said the club had failed to strengthen the squad in the summer, despite qualifying for Europe, and that he expected more investment from technical director Jason Wilcox.
Keane spoke on the podcast “The Overlap” about the fallout. He said that while some fans might view Martinez’s comments as positive, others would see them as undermining the team, especially given the defender’s recent form. “When you’re going through a difficult spell like United are, the issue I have with certain players saying things is you always have to start with the man in the mirror before you start coming out with all these comments,” Keane said. He added that the club’s internal chaos was evident and that the situation could be compared to a circus.
The Argentine said his remarks came out of “anger and frustration.” Martinez’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, with United holding an option to extend it for another year. Keane suggested that the fallout might not be a major break‑up, but he questioned whether the dressing room had enough senior players to steer the club. He described Martinez as a centre‑half who makes many mistakes and not a senior figure at the club.
Former United defender Gary Neville weighed in, comparing the incident to Wayne Rooney’s comments in 2010. Neville said that from a player’s perspective, a direct attack on teammates is unacceptable. “If I were Harry Maguire or Bruno Fernandes, or any other senior player, I would be absolutely fuming with him because you’re basically saying we shouldn’t be here and we should be bringing more players in,” he said.
United will travel to Leeds United for a Premier League fixture on Sunday. The club’s leadership and players will need to address the tensions highlighted by Martinez’s comments and Keane’s criticism if they hope to reverse the current slump.