Martínez criticizes United recruitment after Atlético defeat

Lisandro Martínez publicly criticized Manchester United’s recruitment and technical director Jason Wilcox after the club lost 2-0 to Atlético Madrid, saying he expected greater investment while acknowledging that the players also needed to improve. Speaking after Tuesday’s Champions League match, Martínez described the performance as poor and said United needed more players to compete. He said he expected more from the club’s leadership and specifically from Wilcox, who is responsible for the technical department. Martínez also said the players had to do more, and argued that building a stronger squad was important for matches of that level. Asked whether manager Michael Carrick had been backed sufficiently, Martínez defended him, saying Carrick was doing his best. He argued that teams learn how United play and that the club should consider areas beyond changing managers. He said the team had laid groundwork the previous season but that he was disappointed by what he saw against Atlético. United were beaten after conceding in the opening minute, and Ademola Lookman scored Atlético’s second. Leny Yoro was sent off during the match.