Senior Man Utd players revolt against INEOS as Martinez quits and Carrick sack fears explode
Senior Manchester United players are backing Lisandro Martinez in his war of words with INEOS, while the Argentine has decided to quit Old Trafford and the squad believe Michael Carrick will now be sacked, according to a report.
Man Utd have endured a torrid start to the season, winning just twice in nine matches, exiting the League Cup, and failing to keep a clean sheet against English opposition.
Michael Carrick is already under intense pressure, with Antonio Conte publicly flirting with Man Utd, and the club’s hierarchy giving consideration to hiring Fabian Hurzeler or Julian Nagelsmann.
However, one group within Man Utd who don’t wish to see Carrick removed from power are the players.
That’s according to our colleagues over on TEAMtalk, with their insider, Graeme Bailey, dropping a bombshell on what’s really going on behind the scenes right now.
Senior Man Utd players backing Lisandro Martinez
Firstly, Bailey revealed Martinez’s recent outburst in the wake of the 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid had the ‘backing of fellow senior players’.
The gist of the Argentine’s comments was Man Utd’s hierarchy, most notably director of football, Jason Wilcox, are to blame for the club’s poor start.
United overhauled their midfield with a triple coup over the summer, though two of the arrivals, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, aren’t athletic and struggle to cover the ground.
Given Carrick plays a two-man midfield, a lack of athleticism in central areas has killed United this season, with opposition sides carving the Red Devils open at will.
Furthermore, Man Utd failed to sign a left-back or striker, with those two positions unaddressed despite the glaring need for reinforcements.
Senior Man Utd stars share Martinez’s concerns that the club have failed the players with regards to a lacklustre summer transfer window.
Man Utd players think INEOS will sack Michael Carrick
What’s more, senior United stars are beginning to fear INEOS will attempt to rectify the situation by sacking Carrick, according to the report.
That is why Martinez publicly backed Carrick both in his comments on Wednesday night and in his subsequent social media post that clarified his outburst.
Essentially, the Man Utd squad are making their backing of Carrick a matter of public record, something that will make it more difficult for INEOS to fire Carrick.
Martinez, meanwhile, plans to leave Man Utd when his contract expires in 2027, and per the latest from The Athletic, he does not want the club to activate the one-year option in his contract.
On the back of publicly denouncing the hierarchy, United now harbour serious doubts about triggering the option, which plays into Martinez’s hands given he wants out anyway.
Martinez has reportedly seen enough at United and wishes to move to Spain. It is perhaps for that reason that Martinez was the one who came forward on Wednesday night with his criticisms of INEOS.
The Argentine can publicly criticise the club at will knowing the most likely long-term repercussion – him being sold or not having his contract extended – is exactly what he wants.
