Lisandro Martínez’s extraordinary attack on the Manchester United board has revealed the divisions within the club.
Telegraph Sport analyses the problems the club must address if they are going to become a force again.
Ownership mess
Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over the day-to-day running of operations at Old Trafford in February 2024 after buying an influential minority stake from the reviled Glazer family.
But two-and-a-half years on, the leadership vacuum feels greater than ever and United are beset by even more problems than when the Americans were in sole charge.
Two managers and a sporting director have already been sacked, 322 jobs cut, recruitment questioned and now the current manager and director of football are both under intense scrutiny.
Under the terms of a deal struck in the summer to refinance $425m (£320m) of debt from the Glazers’ leveraged buyout in 2005, there is a potential window of opportunity for Ratcliffe to seek majority control in the second half of 2029 but United need clarity at the top of the club long before then. And Ratcliffe is known to be difficult to work for.
Wilcox and Berrada under attack
Martínez shone a spotlight on the executives who run United on a day-to-day basis when he singled out director of football Jason Wilcox and those “at the top” in his lacerating TV interview after Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat at Atlético Madrid.
Fans, players and staff are waiting to discover how Wilcox responds to the Martínez situation after being publicly called out by the Argentina defender over his squad building. Like Wilcox, the United chief executive Omar Berrada, who is hands on, was also recruited from Manchester City.
Both men played central roles in the decision to extend Erik ten Hag’s deal then sack him 116 days later, the appointment and subsequent sacking of Ruben Amorim after 14 months and the appointment of Michael Carrick, initially on an interim basis before his permanent hire. Carrick steered United back into the Champions League but has presided over club’s worst start to a season for 40 years.
Squad shortcomings
There is growing scrutiny around how United have gone about their latest rebuild in the wake of Martínez’s comments amid the feeling Carrick has been sold well short. United opted for a three-tiered strategy that involved revamping the attack primarily last year and overhauling the midfield this summer.
A defensive reboot is slated for next year. But questions have been raised about why recruitment has been done in such a regimented, block-by-block way when there were glaring issues in key positions that went unaddressed, including no left-back signing to compensate for Luke Shaw’s age and fitness issues or cover in attack for Benjamin Sesko. Shaw and Sesko are both currently sidelined. Carrick had to play centre-back Ayden Heaven at left-back against Atlético and has been using Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo as makeshift strikers.
Supporter unrest
Relations between the club and its match-going fan base are at their lowest ebb for years and were worsened by a controversial anti-ticket touting operation that many supporters felt ended up unfairly targeting genuine fans. Many season-ticket holders feel increasingly pushed out by Ratcliffe’s cold, corporate approach and obsession with the bottom line.
An increasingly fractious atmosphere has been evident at matches where patience with a struggling team has worn thin, including the shocking 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat by Brighton at Old Trafford when fans rounded on the players.
Jewel in academy wants out
Last month, Telegraph Sport revealed how JJ Gabriel asked to quit United. The leading talent from the club’s academy and a player tipped for the very top, the forward, now 16, has not been seen at United for weeks as he seeks an exit. Real Madrid are among the favourites for his signature.
United feel they have done everything in their power to try to keep him but sources believe they are fighting a losing battle on that front. It would be a nightmare scenario and huge embarrassment for a club famed for their youth production line to lose the best talent they have produced for years.
Stadium uncertainty
Old Trafford was neglected for years under the Glazers. Ratcliffe is now spearheading efforts to build a new 100,000-capacity stadium adjacent to United’s existing Old Trafford home.
But serious doubts surround how a project estimated to cost between £2bn and £3bn will be funded, particularly given how the club are already burdened by the costs of still serving the Glazers’ hostile takeover from two decades ago.
United have struggled to build a successful team in the post-Ferguson era without the added implications of financing a new stadium and there are worries among fans about how the costs involved would affect future squad building.