"EMBARRASSED!" talkSPORT's LIVELY CLASH on Martinez's SCATHING RANT being BACKED by Man Utd players!

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talkSPORT debates Martinez's blast at the Man United hierarchy

The show first discusses whether Watford should keep faith with manager Diani, then focuses on Martinez publicly criticising the Man United hierarchy after the defeat to Atletico Madrid. Alex says several senior United players share his frustrations; Simon and Danny question his timing and motives, arguing poor performances and self-preservation are central and that his comments undermine Michael Carrick. They also clash over whether United's running stats are being overblown.

Alex Crook joins Danny Murphy, Simon Jordan and Jim White to discuss the latest on Manchester United and Lisandro Martínez. Subscribe: https://youtube.com/c/talkSPORT?subconfirmation=1 🏆 Ready to win? Check out the latest prizes at talkSPORTwin.com Enjoyed this YouTube video? 😍 🖥️ talkSPORT's Website: https://talksport.com/ 📲 talkSPORT's X/Twitter: https://x.com/talkSPORT 📷 talkSPORT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talksport/?hl=en 👤 talkSPORT's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkSPORT/ 📱 talkSPORT's Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talksport ? 🔴 Download the talkSPORT app HERE! - https://talksport.com/apps/ 🔎 Want to see if you feature on our YouTube channel? Check out our Best talkSPORT callers playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFVMnSsi04LGLa9pS9xDvme-Gjmlu2 mufc manutd talkSPORT PremierLeague

Transcript

Alex Krook joins us live in the show. Alex, good morning to you. I want to talk matters. Landro Martinez, Manchester United with you in a second, mate. But on Watford, we we heard that Watford, another manager in this instance, Allesio Dioni uh was set to be fired. Why? Because Watford have lost each of their last four, including 4-0 at home to Burnley at the weekend and 5-1 only last night to Cardiff. But now it's changed somewhat, has it, for for Dioni? What do you know? >> Yeah, it has indeed. As you say, it was a really bad defeat last night against a Cardiff side themselves. Not in great form. They've made their worst start in the second tier since the early 2000s, Watford. And we know, as you say, there has been a bit of a managerial revolving door. But speaking of my sources there this morning, it looks like the owner is determined to give Elicio Diani, the current manager, more time. He will certainly be in charge, I'm told, for the game against Charlton on Saturday, which feels like another must win. I'm told the ownership realized they've been too hasty in the past when it cames when it comes to making snap decisions on managers. They acknowledge that they've signed a lot of new players in the summer. They've had their fair share of injuries as well. Actually started the season quite well when they had a fully fit squad. And I think they point to that as reasons maybe to be optimistic that Diani can turn things around. But if they were to lose again against Charlton, then sure of the pressure given Watford's recent history will only intensify. >> Simon, a Watford fan group have already issued a vote of no confidence against the Posal family. Uh I don't suppose for one moment they'll be that bothered about that, will they? >> No. I mean, look, I mean, it's a different way of operating. Normally, they don't bother consulting or telling the manager that he's got any kind of support behind him. They just fire him. I I'm I have mixed emotions about Watford's method of operation because it doesn't form the basis of most people's thinking, but over the years, Watford have been in the Premier League. I know my argument for a little bit uh less uh succinct as it did a couple of years ago because I was using the analysis of Watford being in the Premier League for 50 60% of their time over the last decade. And so most clubs would that are outside of the periphery of big clubs that can stay in the Premier League would have accepted that as a reasonable outcome. on Nottingham for chef or Wednesday big clubs like that would have bitten their arm off to beat Watford in the Premier League as many times as they were. >> Yeah. >> Um so I don't think there's one way of running a football club but I do think that you have to give managers a little bit of time a little bit of time to get their feet under the table and not too much time to make it unrectifiable if they can't um turn round results. >> Okay. So we'll keep an eye on that. We're obviously all over this. Alex Landro Martinez slamming the club's hierarchy after the match in Madrid last night. Um Danny saying as an ex player as a player Martinez shouldn't go there. That's not a territory that he should venture into. And Simon as you might imagine has been none too complimentary about Martinez and his motivation for doing it. And yet it's our understanding here am I right? And it's your thinking, am I right, that senior United players share Landro Martinez's frustrations. Is that correct? >> Yeah, it certainly is, Jim. Listen, I could understand the argument when it comes to Landro Martinez. He's not started the season in great form. He scored that own goal against Fulham. He was definitely at fault for me for the equalizer that Tottenham scored at the weekend. So, people who say he's not speaking from a position of strength. I understand that viewpoint. I see where Danny is coming from as well. If there's a danger, these comments cause a rift in the dressing room. But from what I understand it, several senior United players knew that at some point Martinez was going to make these views public. If you look at uh the way he spoke to Gabriel Clark, who I thought as always did a sterling job as the interviewer, it wasn't an emotional outburst. He was actually quite calm when he delivered this put down of the United hierarchy. And as you've mentioned, it's my understanding that his views are shared by senior players within that dressing room. You only have to look at the body language of Bruno Fernandez who I think was promised when he committed his future at least in the short term to the club uh this summer amid interest from Europe and from Saudi Arabia as well that United would be ambitious in the transfer market. They would try and build on what Michael Carrick achieved in the second half of last season and that simply hasn't happened when you look at the players that have come in. They've obviously targeted that midfield area but that's come at the expense of the backline. I think Luke Shaw has probably played more minutes than he would have expected at a time when he should be managing his body and obviously is picking up injuries. Same can be said for Harry Maguire. Benjamin Cheshko's injury means they haven't got another number nine. And I think the players are questioning what direction the club are going in and are they serious about getting back to competing for top honors. So I think Martinez comes from a position of strength certainly when it comes to his teammates. He's going to get himself a fine. I think the club are going to have to be seen to do that. I'm really interested to see what Michael Carrick does in terms of the team selection against leads at the weekend because I think you'll also find and I know you've been taking callers this morning. The majority the matchgoing Manchester United fans will also come down the side of the Argentine and they've had enough of this hierarchy and the likes of Jason Wilcox and Omar Bara. Rookie, I don't understand the unformed opinion of senior players or agreeing because every club I've ever been at, most players will be looking after number one and not wanting loads of new players through the door because which player other than Bruno has got the seniority or the regularity of performance and place in the team to be thinking, "Oh yeah, please let's sign a 60 million pound center to take my place. Please let's sign a center forward to take my place." >> Maguire, sure. >> You think Maguire is thinking, "God, I wish we'd sign some more defenders." senior players. >> Yeah, but I'm saying that that doesn't happen. I was at Liverpool when we're trying to win trophies and most of the lads are going, "Oh, we don't sign anymore." >> So, it's not your belief. >> It's not my belief that >> United players share Martinez's belief. >> I think there'll be a few frustration. I think there'll be a few who believe it because they think they're so good and important in you are then >> a few. But I I think the majority will be sitting there going nobody's footballers don't sit there and think I wish we'd signed loads of players better than me to take my place from this wonderful club. It doesn't happen. >> But nobody likes going out and get and getting embarrassed Danny week week in week out. And they they simply couldn't compete with Atletico Madrid last night. It was one of their best getting embarrassed at the end of last season. They were on the crest of a wave. They were playing great football. They're hardly losing a game playing with >> once every three weeks. the the squad was never going to be deep enough and I I think that's >> none of them said it before the season started. None of them none of them none of them come out >> and Magguire both went on record I think and said that they needed reinforcements. >> So this performance against Atletico and Madrid which has happened to Man United and they're pumped they've got beaten by top European sides in European football. Right. So the moment the players are very happy when it's the owners getting barked. They're very happy when it's the manager getting barked. the moment it's them, you get this because the fan the players got booed off against Tottenham and it's coming their way for their performances. So this group of players that you know didn't play three games a week or whatever they didn't do started the season against Hull dreadfully. So what what they're doing is they're making it about what wasn't given to them for a European Cup game rather than their abject performances during the last five or six games that have nothing to do with playing against elite opposition have everything to do with the performances of themselves. What he's done is he's eroded whatever authority Michael Carrick had because the one person that would have been able to sell it to the Man United board if there is indeed enough bandwidth in their financial governance to be able to meet the opportunities to buy better players is Michael Carrick. He couldn't sell it. They wanted Michael Carrick to do a job. So what the players have just done is uniformally and this individual has done diminished Michael Carrick because Michael Carrick can speak for himself. He doesn't need some runt little footballer that couldn't cope with Dominic Sileni on the weekend coming out with what he thinks he's entitled to when he's in no position to do it and the team are in no position to talk about this because they're good enough to have beaten Hull. They're good enough to have beaten Fulham. They're good enough to have beaten Everton. They're good enough to have done other results all season. And when they get they get one game against Atletico and Madrid where you they can compare the opposition as being an elite opposition that's got more money than them and spent a little bit more and more money in the transfer market and more established in Europe. This is the time he chooses to do. It's just not in your thinking that he might have united at heart so much that he wants to see improvement behind the scenes up the stairs in the hierarchy >> and that his his his dissenting voice just might be heard by the right people upstairs. >> Anyone that believes that is allowing their legitimate distaste for the achievements of the ownership to cloud their judgment over the motivations of the individual. >> There is a self-preservation element. There's no question about that. Martinez is out of contract at the end of the season. He's by no means one of the best paid players at the club. I think he felt that maybe he was deserving of a new deal. He's had a check record with history with injury. So, I would probably back the club on that one. So, I understand where you're coming from and the point you keep making, Simon. I've heard you say a couple of times this week and I totally agree. I was in the stands at whole sat with Jun Iliki. That performance just set the the whole tone for what was to come. When you turn up and play like that against a newly promoted side, when you're not at it, all that feelood factor from last season was wiped away in one afternoon. >> A really quick one, a really quick one. Jason Wilcox, Omar Barada, Jim Radcliffe, none of them can be blamed for the running stats and the physical stats that we're reading and looking at. >> I think that's deliberate, Danny. I think it's a tactic. I I don't think it's necessarily just the players being lazy. I think that's the way that Michael Carrick wants them numbers the end of last season, were they? >> No, but I saw a stat of the weekend. Manchester City's running stats in the early weeks of the season were actually lower than Manchester United and and they're top of the table. So, I think that's been overegged a little bit. No, no players go out and not try, do they? >> No, no, I don't mean not try. I just mean they're not capable. >> Alex, thank you very much indeed. We'll see where Landre opening his mouth actually gets him in the fullness of time. I know where we are.