Manchester United was let down by one player more than others on Saturday. Lisandro Martinez was one of the main figures at fault on the first goal and created the opportunity for the second with a stupid red card, and the performance collapsed as a result.
It should be said that he was not United’s only problem, nor has he been this season, but his current form has proven costly even before the trip to Stamford Bridge. Martinez should have been dropped before, and should be dropped on Tuesday as United prepare
for a crucial Champions League clash with Roma.
Martinez hasn’t always had the best availability for United. Misfortune with injuries interrupted his best runs of form at United, and he’s currently playing for the third full-time manager in his United career. He’s had a strange mix of centre back partnerships to add onto the changing/evolving tactical demands since his arrival in 2022. But over four years with the club, Martinez has simply not established himself in the way that anyone had hoped when they first heard the word “Butcher.”
It wouldn’t be the end either, unless January suddenly becomes an opportunity to offload players in a way that United hasn’t been able to do before. Martinez is a player whose contract expires next summer and is likely not in high enough demand for a team that just couldn’t wait six months to avoid a transfer fee.
United are thin at most positions, and Martinez would be an obvious rotation option at center back if benched. That is, however, the one position group where there are options to work with. There is a lack of quality defensive options overall after a poor start to the campaign. The adjustments helped stop the leaking of goals a bit, but United’s lack of points is mostly down to the inability to score goals. The recent shellings at the hands of Como and Bournemouth exposed the poor morale in the team as well as tactical issues, and there have been calls to give Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro more of a chance.
Matthijs De Ligt has also returned from a back injury that kept him out for almost a year. His presence was a mostly positive one last season before the injury. He might be an odd pairing at center back for some, but certainly his experience is valuable with younger options behind him.
Either way, there are options behind Martinez. His outburst at Atletico Madrid might have earned him some favor among fans, but his performances haven’t, and his visible frustrations along with poor form should keep him out of the team on Tuesday.
