Lisandro Martínez apologises to Manchester United's director of football after transfer outburst

Lisandro Martínez has backed down. The Manchester United centre-back apologised on Thursday for singling out director of football Jason Wilcox and questioning the club's recruitment policy after the 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid. A meeting with Michael Carrick and the board helped calm a crisis that has left the dressing room torn between frustration and self-criticism.

• Martínez apologised after talks with Carrick and the United hierarchy, having failed to do so in an initial statement.
• The club will not make any disciplinary measure public, but the player is understood to have been fined.
• The defender slammed the lack of reinforcements and said he expected more investment to compete in the Champions League.
• The wider squad largely shares his frustration over recruitment, with Carrick under growing pressure after a poor start.

Inside the meeting that cooled tempers at Manchester United

The meeting took place on Thursday afternoon, just two days after the European setback at the Metropolitano. Martínez, 28, sat down with the head coach and senior figures from the sporting department to discuss what had happened. His subsequent message on Instagram struck a conciliatory tone: "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 Tuesday's game".

The Argentine admitted that his impulsive nature got the better of him. "Everyone knows that I am a passionate person and that I live 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 apologise," he added.

From scathing public criticism to a climbdown in 48 hours

Martínez's U-turn is all the more striking given how blunt his original comments were. Speaking after the defeat to Atlético, the defender did not hold back: "I expect more [investment], 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Wilcox]. As players we have to do more, but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night. Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team".

He also questioned the backing Michael Carrick has received from above. "I don't think so. He does his best. You can't keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas?", he said. It was a message that resonated with supporters and pundits who have long demanded answers about the direction of the project.

The summer spending that left nobody convinced

The club's summer transfer business adds fuel to the debate. United spent £155 million on new signings, all of them midfielders: Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba. Yet Wilcox had made a left-back his priority target, a gap the squad has been struggling with for months and one that was never addressed.

That mismatch between what the coaching staff wanted and what ultimately arrived has created unease inside the dressing room. Several senior players share Martínez's view that the team needed more and better reinforcements, piling further pressure on a sporting department now facing open dissent from within.

A nightmare start that has set alarm bells ringing

The defender's frustration is not a whim. United have picked up six points from their opening six league games, their poorest start since 1986, and have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton. In the Champions League, the defeat to Atlético has left qualification hanging in the balance and Carrick in a difficult spot.

The manager, who took charge with a promise to restore the club to the top, is firmly under scrutiny. Fans are growing impatient and results are not helping. Martínez's apology eases the internal tension, but it does little to solve the deeper problems of a project currently generating more doubts than certainties.

Frequently asked questions about the Lisandro Martínez row