REACTION to Lisandro Martinez apologizing for his post-match outburst 🗣️ | ESPN FC
ESPN FC pundits debate Lisandro Martinez's apology and how Man United should handle him
The video reacts to Lisandro Martinez publicly criticizing Man United's transfer policy and atmosphere after the defeat to Athletic, then apologizing. The pundits debate whether the apology is sincere, whether he has the right to publicly criticize the hierarchy and teammates, and how Carrick and Man United should handle him. The general view is that his points may be valid, but publicly attacking teammates and the board crosses a line, with Frank going further by saying he should leave if he is unhappy.
- Martinez was in no position to complain because if he had defended properly against Spurs, Man United would have had three points instead of one — He was part of the performance and his defending contributed to dropped points
- Martinez's apology is acceptable and not empty — It came in the heat of the moment right after a game; it would be a bigger problem if he said it a day or more later
- If I were a teammate or new signing such as Tielemans, Martinez's apology would feel empty because he directly attacked us — His comments about the transfer window and the club's ambition implied the new signings were not good enough
- You cannot assume Tielemans would automatically feel targeted — Martinez could simply have meant the squad needs to be bigger and better, or he could have been talking about someone else
- Martinez should leave; if he does not like the club, he should get out — He publicly attacked the board, staff and teammates; as an experienced player he knew what he was saying and cannot use post-match emotion as an excuse
- Even if Martinez was right, he has no standing to say it publicly — Football is a collective sport; a player should not publicly criticize recruitment and his own teammates, and it is ironic that he criticized new signings then said he believes in his teammates
- Attacking the higher-ups is an easy way to win over fans, but the people actually affected are the teammates he shares a dressing room with; new signings will take it as an attack — Man United fans largely blame the higher-ups; Martinez has no daily relationship with them but has to live with his teammates
- The fact that what Martinez said rings true changes the judgment on whether to move him out — If he had said something completely outrageous and false, it might be different; because he is 100% right, that makes a difference
- Carrick should keep playing Martinez but speak to the board because there is a real problem; Martinez may be 100% right but he has no right to say it — The team needs all the strength it has; Martinez is just one player among others, not someone above the club
- Carrick's meeting with Martinez would not have been a fierce confrontation; Carrick would just tell him to keep his mouth shut in future — Carrick needs Martinez and cannot drop him; it would not be an Alex Ferguson-style hair-dryer blast
Frank Leboeuf, Shaka Hislop and Steve Nicol join Dan Thomas on ESPN FC to react to Lisandro Martinez issuing an apology for his post-match outburst after Manchester United's Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN ESPNFC
Transcript
Welcome in to latest edition of ESPNFC. I'm Dan Thomas joined by Shaka Histle and Stevie Nickel. Landro Martinez once again grabs the headlines. We saw after that defeat against Athletic came out shouted about the club, their transfer policy, how everything is wrong. Yes, they apologized for that. Today, he apologized again. This is what he had to say about the situation. Today, I met with the club's leadership and the manager. It was a very positive conversation where we were able to exchange views and speak openly about what happened after the game. Everyone knows that I'm passionate person and I live in football with great intensity. The frustration of the defeat led me to express how I felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones. And for that, I want to apologize. Our club is at its best when we're all united. And I recognize that my words in that moment did not help with that. I know that every single person at Manchester United is doing everything possible to achieve our shared ambition, bringing the success that this club and its supporters deserve. With this situation now behind us, we are fully focused on winning together. >> Speaking of nonsense, Frank Leof's here. Hey, >> so that's two apologies to outburst one. >> Yeah, exactly. So, >> apologies winning. >> Exactly. Your apologies beat uh the one out first. Stevie, you haven't been on since he made these comments, then backed away from these comments. >> Yeah. Um I have Well, clearly he never wrote somebody somebody's written that out for him and he's just he's >> But at the same time, >> he has apologized properly. You know, when he when he said that I was like, hold on a second, >> considering how you're playing, you know, you if you defended properly against Spurs, you'd have three points. Instead, you get one. But now that I've seen the apology, then I I understand it. You know, straight after a game, um things are heated. You're you're thinking all kinds of stuff, particularly when your team's struggling. And sometimes players do say things that they shouldn't. >> But he meant it, didn't he? >> Well, he did. Yeah. >> So then, aren't these just empty apologies? >> Well, not not really. No, I don't. Because because it's straight after a game, I think there's a bit of leeway there. Listen, had this been the day after or a couple of days after when you've had time to think about it and just settle down, then then that's a huge problem. I mean, it's wrong. What he did was wrong, but I get it. He's got a microphone in front of him, somebody throws a question at him. So, yeah, I I like the words he said. I know somebody else wrote it for him, but he's apologized. >> He can't be the only one with these sort of sentiments though, Shane, within that. Listen, I I think a lot of people looking at Manchester United and how things have gone over recent years, whether we're talking players or or talking managers, you could level the same the same criticism that you heard from Nandra Martinez. Now, I get what Stevie is saying and and I agree at times in the heat of a moment right after the game, somebody puts a mic in your in your face, you say the wrong thing, you're thinking one thing and just kind of comes out incorrectly and you go about your business trying to apologize and make up for that. But if you're a member of that dressing room, if you're one of the new signings, if you're Yuri Tielemans, for example, that feels very empty. You think so? >> Yeah. I I if I'm one of those players sitting in that, let's just use Yuri Telman Telmans as the hypothetical example here. I couldn't care how many times he apologized or how good each of those apologies were. He he directly attacked me postgame for Manchester United sales. Um, and now whatever you say, drafted or not, as good as it may be or not, does not matter in the slightest. >> So, you think you think Timmans is sitting and going, he's talking about me? >> Yeah. >> You do? >> Yeah. >> And you don't see >> Well, just to recap, obviously, he came out and he said he was disappointed with the club's ambition that was shown in the transfer window. That that was basically what he was. >> Yeah. Why would he why would he straight off the bat think he's talking about he's not good enough because he was one of the people that joined in the summer. >> So he was >> I can't remember who United Tielemans Bala who else has to be it has to be an attack on them. >> How how has it to be >> who is it on there because the squad's not big enough or good enough? >> So why so why if I was sat there now I'd be sitting going well he's talking about me. You think he's Why is Tman sitting there thinking he's talking about me? Why would he think that? Sure. Why would he not think? He's He's either he's either talking about we need a bigger squad and a better squad, which we do, or he's talking about somebody else. Why is Tieman going, "Well, he's talking about me." I I wouldn't be thinking that. Why would Why would I tie him think he's talking about me? Frank, >> well, I I I don't think he's only talks about Balba and Tiemans. He talks about all the players who just came throughout the like two three last years and it's why he attacks Will Cox saying that he does he hasn't done his job uh properly but the worst is he say that saying that the team is not good and the end of the uh uh his statement say that he believes in these teammates uh so it's absolutely nonsense I have no um sympathy for anything that he said Um, I'm not like Stevie and and Shaka saying that I we put you on a mic microphone in front of you and you can say some basis. I've been there, you know, when I remember with Chelsea that we lost against Berlin and I say, well, today we were crap and I was the first one, but that's the only thing you can say, you know, then you cannot attack your board, your some personals and your teammates. Who who are you? You're not fantastic. You're not the best player like me in the Champions League game against Gerlin. We lost that was very bad and I put myself on top. So the guy is like he's he's saying yeah it's me but it's not really me. It's more the others, you know, more the others. They're very bad. They're very crap. And Will Cup is because it's because of Will Cup because he doesn't know how to buy good players. And then the day after you go, you apologize. Now you know exactly what you say. You are most you are very experienced. He's not a young guy just coming like 19 years old who can say some bases. You know, he knows what he says. Like I knew what I was saying. And even after a game, even if it was straight after a very bad game, you know exactly what you have to say when you name people, especially uh somebody above you. That's that's absolutely abnormal. And I'm pleased. I think he's going to be fine. But I He should leave the club. If he doesn't like the club, get out. >> Get out. >> Does it make a difference that he was right, Frank? >> He cannot be right. He hasn't got the position to be right in that statement. It's part of it. It's a collective sport. You cannot you're not above anybody to say what you think about the recruitment, the players alongside you. Uh and and and after saying, well, I believe on my teammates, it says a lot about his mentality. the guy is able to criticize all the new signings throughout again the three years I think or even more I don't know and and put it put it put him as an exception and after yeah you know maybe I went too far so I put myself a little bit in it so he's not right he cannot be right because that's not his position you cannot do that >> I think it's easy for him to attack the higherups to to to Frank's point whether it's Will Cox or whether it's Radcliffe or the Glazers because popular consensus certainly amongst Manchester United fans are that's where the blame lies. So you want to get yourself in the fans good books it's it's an it's an easy attack to make against against the high-ups as as Frank puts it. My my issue is he's not he's not sharing a space with them. He's not going to dinner with them. You know nothing about his his life or certainly his footballing career um there there there isn't that that intersection. But again, correct me if I'm wrong, didn't he say something along the lines of, you know, last season we had this good finish and now look at us. >> If I if I'm one of those new signings, maybe Stevie sees it differently, but if I'm one of those new signings, I'm seeing that as an attack on me. >> Do you want him kicked out of the club like Frank does? >> I if I'm mean, >> if you're Manchester United football club, are you seriously kicking Lando Martinez out? Um, >> not >> who can they? >> Yeah. Not no. Yeah, that's >> Yeah, that that that that's a challenge. And now one one of one of the challenges is well, they just aren't very good in all honesty. And and Landre Martinez >> because of the because the transfers because they haven't brought in the players quality. >> Listen, he's he's he's right, but again, you don't attack you don't attack teammates in that way. I I I I stand by that. that just just makes up for far for a very toxic um dressing room. Um now whether they can kick him off, whether they sell him, time will tell, but let's be honest, if Manchester United sell Martinez and and bring somebody else, this is not like Alex Ferguson selling Yap Stam or Roy Keane, a legend at the club who' achieved so much. This is just another player who slightly above average when he was fit in a very below average Manchester United. Listen, if I I think it does make a dent if you if you're talking about in terms of he has to get rid of to be sent out the club. It has to be something totally outrageous, wrong, the whole nine yards. But the fact that everything he said rings true, I think it does make a difference. I think it does make a difference. You know, I again if if he's completely off the charts saying things that are just not true, then you know, if you want to if if you really are in a position where you think moving him out the club is going to change anything, then do it. But because he's 100% right, that that changes it for me. >> What do you expect Carrick to do over the next couple of days? They suggested that today he he sat down, he spoke to Martinez. Clearly, they've they've cleared the air. Uh ESPNFC suggesting that's the end of the matter. Of course, big game against Leeds at the weekend. He still plays obviously. Yeah. >> Yes, I think so. Um because you know what Stevie put it put it uh when he when he said you know they they can't get rid of him because they don't have any options. where yes, you have Euro, you can have maybe Maguire and some others, but yeah, Lisandro Martinez is a good player. He's not the top of the top, you know, if we talk about the history of Manchester United, I remember players like Vidish, that was a hell of a of a defender. That was a different era. And uh and this why I'm a little bit upset against Lando Martinez because he hasn't been the best example throughout all his time, all his years at Manchester United. We we've been critical towards the fact that he was making too many fowls that he was too intense sometimes that he was incapable of of chill out at some point and and get cold uh to to to do to to get the right decision and and it's why I'm I'm a little bit upset. But right now you need all the the strengths that you you you you have in hands and Landro Martinez is is capable of having a good game. If I'm if I'm Carrick, I I I keep him in but I would talk to the board because there is a problem. Again, it's maybe 100% right, but does he has the right to say it? That's my position. You just a player like among others. >> You know, I find it funny to think about it. Carrick saying yes, we've had a meeting and we we had a good chat and the whole thing. >> I thought this meeting by the way, I'll be absolutely shocked if this wasn't Michael K. come in, sit in, shut the door. What are you trying to do? What are you doing? And you'd be like, "Oh, sorry, boss. I I'm" You go like, "Just keep your mouth shut. There's no need for any of this nonsense. Look, just keep your head down. Keep your mouth shut and go on with it. All right." And he'd be like, "Yeah, sorry, boss." And then off he goes. This is this is no fairy hair dryer or somebody getting lambasted by the manager. No chance. Because as I say, Carrick absolutely needs him. Whether you think he's great or not, Carrick needs him and he's not going to pull him in the office and throw him over the coals and start screaming at him and say, "That's it. You don't play Saturday. We need to make a statement. I need to show the dressing room that I mean business." I guarantee you was none of that. It'd be look what are you doing? Keep your mouth shut in future. And he'd be like, "Yes, boss. Off you go." >> Just a reminder, extra time is available over every day on our YouTube channel. Today we discussed whether or not PSG have it easy because they play in league when it comes to the Champions League.