Manchester United

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Trust is eroding among Manchester United fans over the minority ownership, agreed on Christmas Eve in 2023.

They might look at the other clubs where Ineos have an influence.

Nice are ninth in the French league and Lausanne-Sport are bottom in Switzerland. This doesn't generate a sense of a wider footballing vision that is paying dividends.

At Old Trafford, questions are being asked for the third season in a row over managers who were backed by the hierarchy in the summer.

Erik ten Hag was sacked after nine Premier League games in 2024. Ruben Amorim went after 20 matches last season.

Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has also been blamed by fans for increasing ticket prices and launching what the club said was a ticket touting investigation among season ticket holders, but which supporters felt was an attempt to drive them out in favour of 'tourist' supporters.

In their latest set of accounts, United's overall debt stood at £1.1bn, with some fans criticising the decision to spend £63.5m on land for a new 100,000-capacity stadium - which is set to cost in excess of £2bn - rather than use the money to strengthen Michael Carrick's squad.

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Listen to more reaction from Martinez and Wilcox's rift by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Firstly, it must be pointed out Jason Wilcox is going nowhere.

Manchester United sources say the 55-year-old is not in any danger of losing his job.

The club's recruitment department is working on potential targets for January given it is accepted the strategy of not signing left-back competition for Luke Shaw and striking support for Benjamin Sesko was flawed.

Unlike other major footballing countries on the continent, there is no expectation for sporting or technical directors to speak to the media.

Wilcox's only extensive interview since he was appointed in April 2024 has been with United's in-house media, when a couple of answers stood out.

"I am a coach at heart," said the former Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United winger, who spent several years working in coaching at Manchester City's academy.

"I am a coach inside, even though I know I have a different job now. That is a strength in my role, but it also causes me a bit of a problem because I always want to interfere in what the managers are doing."

Wilcox has only spoken briefly to the media after matches on a couple of occasions: after the 2-1 win at Crystal Palace last November, when he told journalists to "trust the process"; then again in Gothenburg after the pre-season encounter with Paris St-Germain when he enthused about the potential pairing of Youri Tielemans and skipper Bruno Fernandes.

Recruitment was praised in summer 2025, when Senne Lammens was signed ahead of Emi Martinez, who was Ruben Amorim's preference, and Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, plus Sesko, reinvigorated United's attack.

But the jury is out on the players acquired in the £155m summer outlay this year: Carlos Baleba, who missed the first six weeks of the season with injury; Andrey Santos, who has been an unused substitute in the past three Premier League games; and Tielemans, whose form has been patchy.

Sources have questioned the overall strategy, and specifically why Tielemans, who has a similar profile to England international Kobbie Mainoo, was signed, even for £35m, and if the £50m committed to Santos would have been better spent on someone who would be a first choice.

Read more on the story here

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Lisandro Martinez said he felt it was important to speak out the way he did.

Many Manchester United fans are delighted he went down that path, and the defender was highlighting inadequacies in the club's leadership structure.

However, there are a couple of other basic realities.

The first is that Martinez's contract expires at the end of the season. United have the option to extend it by another year.

By being so outspoken against senior figures at the club, was he trying to ensure that option is not triggered, which would allow him to leave for nothing in the summer, or, potentially, for a lower fee in January?

Martinez is good friends with Atletico Madrid defender Cristian Romero and the Argentina international colleagues spoke after Tuesday's game. Romero was similarly forceful against the Tottenham hierarchy last season.

Also, while the vast majority of United fans may agree with Martinez, internally his comments create a problem.

Most obviously, head coach Michael Carrick, having deflected questions about the defender's outburst in the immediate aftermath of the game, will face more probing on the matter when he speaks to the media before Sunday's trip to Leeds United.

Any players lined up to talk around the Elland Road trip will be similarly quizzed.

When Youri Tielemans was asked about it by Amazon Prime on Tuesday, he replied with a "no comment". Given the remarks about recruitment, he would clearly be within his rights to ask Martinez outright: "Did you mean me?"

Carrick has to manage the delicate dressing room dynamic at a point when he needs a collective focus on trying to win enough matches to keep him in a job.

Sources who know the United boss well are adamant there is no better person to handle the turmoil, and it is at times of crisis like this that his innate calmness is a major strength.

However, after five games without a win, it is a problem Carrick could do without.

Read more here

Lisandro Martinez's future at Manchester United is uncertain following his criticism of the club's hierarchy, with doubts the defender's contract will be extended beyond its current expiry next summer. (Sky Sports), external

Manchester United and Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Newcastle United's Ivory Coast attacker Bazoumana Toure, despite the 20-year-old only having moved to St James' Park this summer. (CaughtOffside), external

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler is the standout candidate among current Premier League head coaches should Manchester United's board choose to move on from Michael Carrick. (Sun), external

Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte and ex-Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann also have admirers among Manchester United's bosses. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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We asked for your views on Lisandro Martinez's comments after Manchester United's defeat by Atletico Madrid.

Here are some of your comments:

George: Spot on, something needs to change in this club. There are only so many times you can bring in a different manager before you start to look at the source of the issue.

Pete: Lisandro Martinez is now on thin ice as United do have the option to extend his contract, but whether they will after his post-match interview rant about the lack of investment in the squad during the summer is to be seen. I personally thought that was very unwise and disrespectful as he did label the other players not Champions League players. I think that he's got a very, very nervous wait to see if United do extend his contract or not.

Keith: He is only saying what we all think. He is being open and honest. He is calling out the people who are letting the club down.

Gavin: More players should be calling out the hierarchy. That's the only way we will see changes at the club. The owners are just sitting back taking money in whilst debt is going up. Something has to be done to stop this. Manager after manager getting sacked. We've had some top managers over the years, but none of them were backed. When we had Ralf Rangnick, he stated what was needed. Instead of doing that, fans turned on him, and he didn't continue at the club. The club is finished.

Sam: He may have a point, but he doesn't realise that, with his recent form and injury record, if the club do invest further, then he will be one of the first to be replaced. Earn the right to question others by performing yourself.

Tom: Martinez's comments reflect the reality of the situation at Manchester United. A situation that has got worse every year since the Glazers and Ineos have been in charge. He is just saying exactly what all real Manchester United supporters know. He speaks for the supporters. Build him a statue.

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Former Premier League forward Theo Walcott believes Lisandro Martinez's public criticism of Manchester United's hierarchy, following their Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid, "was an opinion that didn't need to go out there".

The 28-year-old defender spoke to Amazon Prime Video after Tuesday's 2-0 loss, stating: "We did fantastic last season and now we expect more from the top, such as more players to compete.

"I expect more [investment] - 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]. I have to be honest.

"As players we have to do more but it is also important to make a strong squad that is ready for this kind of night."

Walcott, who made 397 Premier League appearances throughout his career, explained his stance on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily: "It is just another story people are going to want to dig into.

"Lisandro Martinez is clearly very outspoken and he obviously wears his heart on his sleeve, but he didn't need to make people aware of that. It was an opinion that didn't need to go out there.

"Players do get together and do chat about certain things, but those things should stay in the dressing room and shouldn't go any further.

"I think it is going to open up a can of worms which Manchester United don't need at this moment in time. Michael Carrick doesn't need this right now.

"I don't feel Lisandro Martinez has put himself in the best light there.

"It's one of those situations where you just have to reflect on the performance, voice your frustration, recognise there were some good things and move on. He didn't need to bring something else to the party."

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson added: "He is only coming out and saying what everyone can already see, however, I would've advised him to keep a lid on it for now.

"There is enough noise around that Manchester United dressing room right now."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds here

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Although Manchester United were much improved on their tepid display against Tottenham at the weekend, conceding inside the first minute did not reflect well on Michael Carrick.

And they have now gone five games without a win for the first time since 2024-25, when it happened under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.

Carrick remains under intense pressure, although Lisandro Martinez's words will bring renewed focus on Jason Wilcox.

The former Southampton executive's appointment as football director is starting to be questioned, as are decisions taken by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Omar Berrada since the Glazer family stepped back despite remaining as majority shareholders.

In addition to sacking Ten Hag and Amorim, they also dismissed highly respected Dan Ashworth in December 2024 just five months after his appointment as sporting director.

In their latest set of accounts, United's overall debt stood at £1.1bn, with some fans criticising the decision to spend £63.5m on land for a new 100,000-capacity stadium - which is set to cost in excess of £2bn - rather than use the money to strengthen Carrick's squad.

United have only qualified for the Champions League in successive seasons twice since Ferguson retired in 2013.

Amorim told Wilcox to concentrate on his own job in a blistering final news conference as United boss, when he suggested too much attention was paid to external "noise" from the likes of ex-player Gary Neville.

Carrick was initially asked for his response to Martinez's remarks live on TV, before heading to the post-match news conference where he was questioned about the comments by three different reporters.

"I haven't seen the interview," he said. "I've half heard about it. It's a bit about the emotions of the game.

"Straight after the game is not the time to talk about that interview and I can't really comment on that. It's important for us to move forward quickly.

Asked if he would speak to Martinez about his comments, Carrick said: "I need to find out a bit more about it before I can say if and what is going to be done."

What do you make of Martinez's comments? Does he have a point? How do you feel about him sharing his views so publicly?

Get in touch with your thought here

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"There are question marks in the front areas, but it wasn't a performance to worry about," says former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson after Manchester United's Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid continued their poor run of results.

Michael Carrick's side have now gone five games without a win in all competitions, having conceded inside the first minute before going down to 10 men at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast about the performance, Robinson said: "It was the forward areas of the field that made me question Michael Carrick's choices in this instance.

"Bruno Fernandes was very ineffective out on the right wing. He struggled to get into the game at times and you could see him drifting in-field to try to get involved with the play.

"Marcus Rashford was non-existent out on the left wing. I have been a big advocate of his, but I want to see him hit the heights we all know he can. He is still a good fit for Manchester United, but he isn't being utilised right.

"I would like to see him going down the middle. I know he prefers to play on the left wing, but he hardly got a touch of the ball.

"Youri Tielemans was kind of in the number 10 role, but he was also being asked to act like a number eight by going up and down the centre of the field. I wouldn't have put him there, Bruno Fernandes should've started in that position from the start.

"So I would say there are question marks in the front areas, but it wasn't a performance to worry about. From a Manchester United point of view, I thought it was a decent enough performance against a very good side in Atletico Madrid."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds here

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Champions League game between Atletico Madrid and Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

Mark: A better performance than the Spurs game, but still error-strewn and, put simply, just not good enough. Choosing a team and then hoping for the best shows how far the manager is out of his depth. Certain players are not giving one hundred percent, and we all know who they are, but the manager keeps on selecting them.

Brian: How many more times are we going to have to listen to the manager say we need to move on quickly and focus on the next game? He said they knew what to expect and were ready for it, but within a minute we were 1-0 down. I like Michael Carrick, but he is totally out of his depth and sinking further with every game. Based on current form, we could quite easily be in a relegation battle if decisive action isn't taken quickly.

Yousef: Despite the final score, there were definitely positive takeaways from the match. Manchester United showed great attacking intent and created some excellent chances through strong build-up play. Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha both looked incredibly sharp and dangerous moving forward. Conceding so early was tough, but the players showed real resilience to keep fighting and pushing for an equaliser for most of the game.

Stuart: United are just not good enough. The players recruited are mediocre players. It was wrong to bring Marcus Rashford back. We have good young players, like Shea Lacey, but Carrick still decided not to play him. We don't play with fight or ambition, the scouts should be ashamed. The owners must go!

Ali: Honestly, this result is hard to accept. It feels like everything went against us. The red card for Leny Yoro was a massive blow that completely killed our momentum just as we were fighting back. It's incredibly frustrating to watch the team work hard only to be undone by moments that felt completely out of our control. The final score doesn't reflect the fight we put in. We need to beat Leeds or Carrick's reign is over.

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has launched a blistering attack on the club's hierarchy for not strengthening the squad following qualification for the Champions League.

Tuesday's 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid means the Red Devils have now gone five games without a win.

Former United players Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young were in Madrid for the game.

Discussing Martinez's comments on Amazon Prime, both said the defender had gone too far and the damage inside the dressing room could be significant.

"Something like that will rip that dressing room apart," said Rooney.

The former England and United captain recalled his own public criticism of the club in 2010 which drew a fierce response from boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Rooney said it had been a mistake which he had apologised for.

"It is disrespectful to his team-mates," he said. "He is saying his team-mates aren't good enough.

"Bruno [Fernandes] is the only one with any right to say that. Behind closed doors, it happens - but that interview isn't going to help...

"[Martinez] has tried to speak on behalf of the players but done it the wrong way.

"It looks like a player trying to look after himself. It was very premeditated. It is sad because you need everyone to stick together, you need to be as one."

Youri Tielemans - who United bought from Aston Villa for £35m in July - also spoke to the host broadcaster but opted not to respond to the question.

Commentating on the game, and speaking before Martinez, former England striker Alan Shearer said he felt Michael Carrick had been let down.

Young feels Martinez should have kept his counsel.

"We know recruitment has to work and be better but players have to be better," he said. "They are the ones who have to produce.

"There's going to be no change now. That could create [issues] all week after what was a good performance."

Read more here

Manchester United, Tottenhamand Evertonare keeping tabs on 24-year-old Dinamo Zagreband Croatia striker Dion Beljo, who is 6ft 5in. (Teamtalk), external

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