‘Every time I watch him…’: Neville slams Man Utd man who should be ‘curled up in a ball’ after poor performances
Gary Neville has slammed Lisandro Martinez for his continued dismal performances for Manchester United this season.
While it can certainly be argued that no player has been up to standard since 2026/2027 got underway, the Argentine has seemingly hit a new low in a United shirt.
Lisandro Martinez: The state of play
Even though he has been one of the side’s most injury-prone players since his arrival in 2022, you could usually always count on Martinez being one of the highest performers when fit.
Yet, that is far from the case this term.
He has overseen numerous calamitous showings, including ones that have seen him directly at fault for a goal being conceded and United going on to lose.
On Saturday, for example, the 28-year-old proved no match for Chelsea’s prolific attackers, and resorted to pulling on Morgan Rogers’ shirt to try and prevent him from advancing into Senne Lammens’ area.
Moments after giving the foul away, Martinez lunged elbow-first into Wesley Fofana, resulting in a spot-kick for the hosts at Stamford Bridge and his second yellow card being brandished.
Michael Carrick did not acknowledge the defender when he made his way off the pitch and down the tunnel, and he will now not feature in the Premier League until after the international break.
What Neville had to say about Martinez
Weighing in on the centre-half’s display, Neville said on Sky Sports: “That’s what I expect from him, to be honest with you. I said the other week – and you’ve got to respect that he is a World Cup winner – but every time I watch him for Manchester United, he is at fault for a goal.
“He was at fault for two yesterday. The first goal is solely on him. If I were giving away the goals that he is giving away, I wouldn’t be doing interviews. And to be fair, I wouldn’t be speaking out, because I have to say, I would be curled up in a ball, playing like that for Manchester United.
“We all give goals away as defenders, but the quantity of goals he gives away is remarkable. And that defence is nowhere near good enough and it falls apart every time it is put under big pressure.”
