£57m Man Utd star ‘not that clever’ and should be grateful Erik ten Hag signed him – Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan has brutally mocked Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez and does not think that he is good enough to play for the Red Devils, with Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt also sharing their opinion.
Martinez made the headlines last week when he criticised Man Utd director of football Jason Wilcox.
The Argentina international central defender said that he wanted Wilcox to sign more players in the summer transfer window.
Martinez has since apologised for his outburst, with Man Utd moving on from the controversy.
Former Man Utd trio Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Gordon Strachan, though, have been discussing Martinez’s outburst this week on The Good, The Bad & The Football, and they were less than complimentary of the defender.
According to Strachan, Martinez should feel lucky that he is playing for Man Utd, having been signed by then-manager Erik ten Hag from Ajax in the summer of 2022 a total fee of £57million.
Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez brutally mocked
Scholes: “The ironic thing is, as (Martinez) is saying, if the people at the top of the club were really doing their job, he probably wouldn’t be playing [for Man United] anyway. He’d be replaced.
Butt: “He’s quite lucky that they’re not buying other players, cause he’d be replaced.
Strachan: “Who signed him? It was?”
Scholes: “Erik ten Hag, from Ajax.”
Strachan: “If it wasn’t for him being at the same club, he wouldn’t be at Man United.
“Because if people are analysing their stats and their data now, if you say – Dundee, even us – ‘what height’s the centre-half?’ ‘Oh, he’s 5 foot 6.’ ‘Oh, do us a favour, are you having a laugh?’
“He wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for Ten Hag.
“So he should get down on his bended knees, and thank whatever God he believes in that he’s at Man United…
“Another thing you’ve got to talk about is a lack of intellect and humility. Some people are not that clever!
“Because he’s won a World Cup – probably every one of us, and including you Paddy (McGuinness) – if I was playing with Messi, I’d probably have won a World Cup as well.
“You’re talking about Roy Keane. Roy could be up there (in the squad) and have a go at you. It doesn’t matter whether you’re up there or not. Doesn’t matter.
“Your job is to be a good teammate and if he’s got to say something, say it to his teammates, help him out or cajole them into being better.”
