Lisandro Martínez calls for greater investment after Manchester United lose to Atlético

“Fuimos lamentables” — “We were lamentable” — sums up the verdict surrounding Manchester United after their 2-0 defeat to Atlético de Madrid. The loss at the Metropolitano also prompted Lisandro Martínez to challenge the club’s leadership, as the team struggles to return to winning ways.

“You can’t keep changing, changing and changing the manager. What about the other areas? Tonight it is easy to talk about the manager or the players, but we also have to look at other aspects,” the defender said, visibly angry after the match. He also called for “more investment” and more from the club’s director.

Martínez made the case for his demands by recalling that the team had enjoyed a fantastic season last year. He now expects more from the leadership and senior figures, particularly in bringing in players, while many other clubs have also strengthened their squads. On the defeat to Atlético, he added: “Red card or not, there’s nothing we can do. I’m looking at our team’s performance, which was lamentable.”

Recent results have added to the criticism. Apart from the 4-0 win against Sabah, making their Champions League debut, Manchester United have not won since August. In the Premier League, they drew 1-1 with Tottenham in their first match after the break, extending their run without a win to four games: they had previously drawn 2-2 with Everton, lost 0-1 to City and drawn 1-1 with Fulham.

The defeat at the Metropolitano has also increased the pressure on Carrick, whose position is already under scrutiny. The English coach called for unity: “The situation matters to all of us and we show it in different ways, but now is the time to stick together and get through it.”

Manchester United visit Leeds on Sunday at 15:00 Spanish peninsular time. Clinton Morrison believes Leeds are favourites. A win would give the Red Devils a chance to move on from the turmoil and revive their momentum.