Lisandro Martínez rips into Man Utd board after defeat to Atletico Madrid | Paper Talk

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Sky Sports News Paper Talk discusses Lisandro Martinez's criticism of the Manchester United board and the pressure on Michael Carrick

This Paper Talk episode focuses on Lisandro Martinez's strong comments after Manchester United's Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, with guests debating United's defence, investment, Michael Carrick's future and the club's lack of long-term planning. It also covers Arsenal's squad depth, the independent football regulator and the Manchester City case, plus the significance of Pep Guardiola's return.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWSkySportsYT The Paper Talk panel discuss Manchester United's Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid as defender Lisandro Martínez rips into the board. They also analyse Manchester City's appeal after the club were found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules by an independent commission. football championsleague manutd ► For the latest developments on this story: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/topstories ► For the latest transfer news: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/TransferCentre More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsnews ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsNews ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

It is time now for paper talk here on Sky Sports News bringing you a first look at the sports stories in the morning's newspapers and joining us are Martin Hardy from the Times and Henry Winter from the Football Podcast. Welcome on to you both. Uh let's quickly run you through the back pages as we have them so far. Just a few in uh including the Express. You can see the headline there. Slow off the mark as Michael Carrick's side play pay the price for their sluggish start. They went 1 nil down inside a minute away to Atletico. Madrid ended up losing the game by two goals to nil. Moving on to the star. Well, they reference that as well. Sloppy 53 seconds. Uh Carmageddon as first minute fast sums up United's wos. And also at the top there, uh marking Pep's return. He has had Peps back in the Champions League. uh in the Guardian and you can see it here um in blue. My independence is absolute as the regulator chair says he will resign if there is any political pressure over the city charges that after the reports were published today. We'll get into that with our guests. Okay. Um let's start off with Manchester United. We mentioned the results uh at the Metropolitano over Madrid, but some really strong comments from Lisandro Martinez after that defeat at Atletico in the Champions League. Let's just bring you some of these. First of all, said really poor, really poor. I have to control myself a lot, but sometimes a reflection of the mirror of how our club is at the moment. Uh we did a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well. Atletico have an amazing team. They deserve to win today. Asked about sort of investment in the team. I expect more 100% I expect more from our technical director. Um I have to be honest as players we have to do more but it's also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of fight. Um, I'll I'll bring in more of those quotes in a moment, but let's just get the uh initial thoughts um of Henry Winter. Henry, you just give us your your opinion there on what has been said by Landro Martinez. I mean, he's he's absolutely not holding back, is he? >> So, that's why he's nicknamed the butcher. I mean, you know, they are brutal comments. I think a lot of Manchester United fans will be nodding their head in agreement in terms of someone calling out the board, someone calling out Jason Wilcox, someone calling out the lack of investment, particularly in defense. And that's an irony because Martin is himself needs to look at himself. He hasn't exactly covered himself in in glory this season with, you know, you only got to look at last weekend and Salanki getting away uh from him to to to score. But he is right that team needs investment. The only issue is is that saying that we're not Champions League quality, I don't know how that's going to go down with his teammates in the dressing room and it really doesn't help Michael Carrick who's under a fair bit of pressure particularly with uh with this defeat Lenuro sent off unfairly and with a huge game at Ellen Road to come. I mean that's Leeds fans are going to be loving this. >> Um Martin yes the quote was this isn't a Champions League quality club. Um, I mean, he's got a point, hasn't he? And and and you know, Michael Carrick, you know, he he strengthened midfield quite early on in the summer. Um, you know, with the likes of Andre Santos coming in, Carlos Bolivia coming in a bit later, but they still feel light in lots of different areas, don't they? >> Yeah. The the first thing to say is actually Manchester United played okay tonight and they were aggressive and created opportunities. And if you are looking to see if a team is still playing for its manager, I think on that performance, you would probably say yes, they are. Okay. So, you park that. But you then go back into the same old problems that we have. Myself and Henry come on this program and we go around in circles because um I think in the last 5 years, Manchester United have had two caretaker managers and three interim managers. There is no long-term plan in terms of what they do. So if they do get rid of Michael Carrick now, it's knee-jerk because there's a bit of pressure on and they'll search around for somebody else. The fact that there's so much short termism is why they in this situation at the minute. We've had what two decades of the Glazes in charge of the club. Now two and a half years ago, Sir Jim Ratcliffe came in. Um when Manchester United were six in the Premier League, they're now 13th. What a deal that was for the Glazers who have made a stack of money out of this football club but have done nothing to advance it at all. Radcliffe gets a 20% shareholding for one and a quarter billion pounds. All the grief is his and a lot of it is deserved because there has been so many bad decisions to strip the club out of lots of employees around a fraction of the salaries of the players. But you still think there is no long-term plan there. There are incredible quotes from a player after a game to start criticizing. He keeps saying other areas which is a direct challenge to the boardroom in terms of what they've done. And Manchester United's plan seems to have been to bring in the recruitment staff or the senior staff from Manchester City to make them better. And as we may have realized in the last couple of weeks, the key for Manchester City success might not necessarily have been the individuals rather than what there was actually going on inside that club. Manchester United don't seem to have a long-term strategy. That defense we're talking about tonight hasn't played together since they uh had a 1-1 draw at Leads United in January after which Ruben Amaran was sacked. To take the same back four Athletic Go Madrid, second uh in La Liga tells you that it's all hodgepodge, no long-term planning. Um and thus we are going around in a circle with one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Um let me just quickly go back to the star um Henry um because we've got a picture of Michael Carrick on the right here. Uh minute of madness. Carrick can't look as United gift early goal to Atletico. Car Mceddon is the is the pun that they use as first minute fast. I mean it felt naive at best didn't it? I mean that was such shambolic defending for that opening goal. And that does just ramp up the pressure on the manager himself. I mean you h how much can he be responsible for this or is it as as Martin was alluding to there the individuals and those those errors well there's individual responsibility you know the defenders have got tighter got to get tighter to to to their man I mean it's you know it has been really poor by their uh by their defending I mean look I'm slightly biased towards Michael Carrick having spent time helping him write his book but I know how hardworking he is how determined he is to get Manchester United, right? And Martin's right. I mean, it's absolutely pointless having a a churn. I mean, what Manchester United need is a couple of elite level defenders, not a new head coach. And I hope this is a wakeup call for uh for for Ratcliffe and and Inos and Will Cox. It absolutely won't be for uh excuse my phone. It absolutely won't be for uh for for the Glazers because the Glazers are just happy sitting in the Everglades taking the uh taking the money out of the club. So uh yeah, very frustrating night for for Manchester United and that is going to be quite a tense flight back. >> Um Lando Martinez has also spoken about you know the situation with with Michael Carrick. He was asked the manager gets criticism is the problem the manager was not backed enough and he says I don't think so. He does his best. Every season is different. You can't stay with what you did last season. The teams know how you play. They know every detail if you don't change next season is a big problem. But we always knew um and and here's more from Landra Martinez. You can't keep changing changing changing the manager. What about other areas? I can't say more. Although obviously he was saying quite a lot. In any case, tonight it is easy to say the coach, easy to say the players, but we also have to see the other areas. Um but but nevertheless, Martin, I I do sort of wonder how much time Michael Carrick is going to get. Listen, he had a great last season, but now the question was always, could he balance Champions League and domestic commitments? Has he been backed enough? Do you think that the fans will have patience with him, especially given that he he served the club so well as a player? What one reason there possibly should be um patience for and I'm not declaring whether there should or shouldn't but what one why reason why there should be is we've seen from what I've mentioned there in the previous five years there is no plan for what happens next so to get rid of Carrick now and bring in another interim another caretaker which is the form of what has happened previously does the club no good whatsoever Henry's mentioned the leads United fixture this weekend which is the the last game that I think anybody at Manchester United would want leads are going great home form. Excellent. Got a real rhythm and and fire under Daniel Farer. That's not the environment Manchester United want to go to. Then you've got Comway in the Champions League, Bournemouth at home, which is must win. And then a difficult and unpredictable game at Chelsea. You might say, you look at those four games and say, "Right, you've got to win at least two maybe three of those fixtures to get yourself into in November. Four defeats in two victories from nine games isn't good enough. But tonight, as I said, I thought they played all right and they made good chances in the first off game against Everett and they will look back and say they probably should have won. But then against Tottenham and they were incredibly poor against a team that hasn't been able to win a game this season. So the form is fluctuating. That bounce that Carrick brought last season that that's all but gone. And as soon as you you get that disharmony inside the dressing room, you're a club in problems. And as Henry says, what what's that flight back like from Madrid? Does listen does Martinez get fined for coming out and saying something against the people above him at the football club? Um does he suddenly find himself dropped for for the game of the weekend? Um it just tells you that that it's a club that's not all rolling in the right direction. And if it's not, there will be a problem and it will struggle. >> Um Henry, when when you look at the upcoming features, I was looking further beyond, you know, the next four that Martin was talking about there, there are no gimmies that there are no easy games. I know that that's a a a cliche, but really you look at the games coming up and and and they could be under a lot of pressure, not just 13th in the league, maybe, you know, heading towards that bottom three. I just wonder if this form doesn't improve. It's now no win in five since the win over Saburn in the uh um it's possible that the likes of Jason Wilcox or Jim Rackcliffe or those in the footballing side of the operation higher up could come under pressure. Well, I think Landre Martinez has put them under pressure tonight. Uh, in terms of Michael Carrick, I mean, that's very ambitious. Actually looking sort of four, five games ahead uh in the Premier League. We know how quickly things turn. But I think at some point the players absolutely have to look at themselves and actually take individual responsibility. You know, they are well paid. They've got fantastic support. Manchester United fans, I'm sure, were there in numbers again. You could hear them on the television singing. And they owe it to the fans. They owe it to the family and their their families. And they owe it to to Michael Carrick. I mean, let's remember what happened when he came in and steadied the ship last season. Obviously, he had time to work with them during the week, but he got them into the Champions League. He probably got them, you know, two positions higher than they were expecting. So, and when you think of owners, owners tend to like managers who get them into the Champions League first and foremost because it's about money as well as the individual trophies and glory for a lot of owners. and Carrick did that. So, he kept his part of the the bargain and it's just a question of whether they're going to be uh patient, but also who else is there to to to step in at this short term? You know, people will talk about Eddie how will the Manchester United fans necessarily want him? So, look, I think Martin's right. you absolutely have to give uh Carrick time because he genuinely cares about this club and they've had people come into this club. Well, owners who've come into the club, let's look at the Glazer, let's call out the Glazers on this, who don't actually genuinely care about Manchester United, this great sporting institution. For them, it's a cash cow, but really they should be thinking about how do we improve the defense? And look, Martinez will have put a few people's noses out of joint, but he's he's completely right with what he is saying. >> Um, let's move on from the start to the express and cheer matters if you're an Arsenal fan. They were 3-0 winners at home to LIIL. Had to wait for those goals to come. Um, but they did come. And do you know what, Martin, this almost seemed like the Arsenal of old. Three open play goals, flowing football, expansive stuff. Is this is this what we should be expecting from Arsenal going forward? >> It's a huge achievement said before of winning the Premier League and it takes a lot of pressure off and they were prepared to do it whatever by whatever means possible and they did it and they beat Manchester City last season to get there. Um and you know that may be a feather in their cap right now. Um but you look at the depth of the squad and the way they've built it and today what they start with Declan Rice, Bruno Gomez and Michel Mourinho who has 50 caps for Spain and Bruno Gomez who's who was Newcastle's captain last year and then they make three substitutions where they bring on not for them players Martin Odigard and Ma Saka and Kai Havt and you go and this squad is getting deeper and deeper and this club is becoming more and more serious about being long-term Premier League winners and potentially Champions League winners as well And in there there is you know that Saka gets his ninth assist in the Champions League to put him now third in Arsenal's history behind Thierry Enri and Ces Fàregas and that is a sign of how well he is doing and how this club is getting stronger and stronger and yes it took them a while to break down Le today but they got there in the end. It's another victory. They turned round the game uh the weekend as well. It's a club that's moving in the right direction. You can feel that they tried in the summer we think seriously to sign Vinnie Jr. that's that bit of gold dust that you think that would really elevate this team to the very next level. Do they drive him again in January or next summer? Depend upon how happy he's in the Liga. Maybe there aren't many players at that very very top level that would take Arsenal that little bit further. But in terms of what's there at the minute, the dynamic test signs a new contract. He's committed. Feels very much like a club that's moving together in the right direction. >> Yeah, Arsenal 3-0il winners at home to Leil. Thank you very much indeed for the moment chaps. When we take a quick break and when we come back we'll look at more of the sports stories in the morning's papers including this in the times. I'll go if you interfere. The football regulator chair has vowed to resign if the government tries to get involved in his handling of the city charges case. We're back in Welcome back to Paper Talk. Welcome back to your home. Welcome back to Martin Hardy from the Times, Henry Winter from the Football Podcast. Right, let's get into the independent football regulator. So, a significant story uh because of a landmark report that was published, the state of the game. I'm sure that you've had a look, both of you, Martin and and Henry. Marta, let's start off with you in here in your paper. Um, and and talking about one particular element of what its role is, which is to be independent. Um and here uh we we're talking about the chair of the independent regulator um David Kogan who said that if there is any interference politically involving the the the the case in Manchester City 114 charges which they continue to uh deny um and the wrongdoing that he will go. Um, how critical a moment is this in terms of the regulator doing the job that it was always set out to do? I think it's really really important. I think it's really really important he said that. Andy Burnham came out, the new prime minister came out with a really really unnecessary um defense uh when he said he'd be really concerned if the scandal led to shake man selling the club. that was felt like a ginormous own goal in the middle of all this and I think there's been two statements brought out since by the government and a correction to the correction um to try and create neutral neutrality in the situation so that there could not be seen to be any government influence thus when he speaks today co speaks today it was very important to to differentiate himself from the government in the first place but then to say also I will not take any interference whatsoever it makes it a good day for the independent football football regulator because it means means it certainly it sounds like they have the strength to stand up to the government. Therefore, we think they have the strength to handle this case uh correctly as well. And in Martin's piece um in terms of the power that they have, it was interesting. He said the I offer IFR will determine whether any individuals or city should be barred from being an owner or director of the club. It could even oblige shape to sell up under its rules. So, it was a really strong and decisive start statement today and I think it's what football needed at a time of huge flux and you know it's it's in its state of crisis at the minute until the Manchester City situation is resolved. Um and and given that this will take some some months obviously you know we're going to be talking about this for a while but right now I I wonder Henry how do you feel that the various powers that be our are acting we talk about the the Premier League the 40page report um the the significance of of how swinging those those kind of terms were how critical that was this independent uh football regulator as well in terms of just trying to get this some semblance of good governance back into the game to try and just turn around the tank and put it back in the right direction. What What is your read on that, Henry? >> Yeah, I went to the IFR press conference at the National Football Museum in in Manchester today and and it was a press conference of of two halves. I mean, I think you're right in terms of the uh the IFR coming out and saying that he will absolutely tolerate no political interference because there's been a lot of uh talk about uh trade relationships with the UAE, Manchester City's owners, 25 billion pounds worth of bilateral uh trading sort of uh money which is potentially at risk. Uh but he was absolutely adamant. But I did ask him whether nation states should be buying English football clubs and he said well there's nothing to stop them in the rules. Uh but also they could go to uh government and look at or government could suggest some legislation on it. So, but the other half of it which these headlines rightly because they're they are huge and it it fits in with the the Manchester City narrative or takes it on