Lisandro Martinez has followed the Cristian Romero playbook perfectly
I tell you what, I'd hate to be a Manchester United fan right now.
Look at us, all smug after three consecutive victories. Well, it was the United fans who were feeling rather good about themselves not so long ago, having retooled their midfield without breaking the bank, while their rivals overspent wildly for talents supposedly barely superior, if at all.
The Red Devils rallied under Michael Carrick during the second half of last season, finishing third and returning to the Champions League. However, the club has embarked on an all-too-familiar cycle since, with Carrick, two months into the season, the most likely to be the first Premier League manager sacked.
The mood has drifted beyond downbeat. They're deep in crisis mode, and an extension of their winless run to nine games in all competitions has left them 17th in the table. After our flirt with the drop last season, plenty are forecasting United to be involved in the dogfight. That's how bleak things have become.
Lisandro Martínez's red card at Chelsea confirms Cristian Romero-inspired arc
Soon, players will begin to check out. That's the nature of their squad. In N17, De Zerbi was able to coax every ounce he could from a broken group of players to help us survive, and you really for fear for the Red Devils unless they hire Antonio Conte. He'll fix the mess, no doubt.
Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Chelsea showcased some early promise, then the very worst of Carrick's side. The more you watch them, the more you wonder how on earth De Zerbi's superteam didn't walk away from Old Trafford with an emphatic victory.
Morgan Rogers' goal was just comical, then Lisandro Martínez picked up a pair of bookings in no time at all. The second suggested he had little interest in rescuing the Red Devils from their current plight.
His dismissal only confirmed that he's been following the Cristian Romero playbook. Remember when our former Argentine defender called out the hierarchy for their work in the January transfer window after a 2-2 draw against Man City? He earned plenty of praise from supporters, only to pick up his fourth Premier League red card at Old Trafford the following week. Martínez consoled his compatriot as he trudged off the Theatre of Dreams.
That's 'Cuti' for ya! Little rascal. You just never know what you're going to get.
Now at Atlético Madrid, Romero may well have teased Martínez into publicly slamming United's higher-ups after the Red Devils were beaten at the Metropolitano earlier this month. Martínez's comments, as Romero's did, were always going to go down well with the fanbase, but how foolish does he look now?
Have a stare in the mirror, pal. Worry about getting your own performances back to a respectable level before you concern yourself with the incompetence of others.
He looks like a player who's given up, just as many accused Romero of doing last season. Martínez has borrowed the script from his compatriot. A long-term injury beckons before a move away.
