Peter Schmeichel, on Lisandro Martinez's Manchester United criticism: "Some of his points are not that far off"

Peter Schmeichel has broken his silence on the controversial interview in which Lisandro Martinez took aim at the Manchester United board. The legendary Danish goalkeeper accepts that the Argentine centre-back gets part of his diagnosis about the club's management right, though he insists he would never have welcomed hearing a teammate voice those complaints on television.

• Schmeichel believes Martinez's criticism of the United hierarchy is "not that far off".
• The former Danish keeper says he would not have liked a teammate to speak like that in public, with rare exceptions.
• Martinez named director of football Jason Wilcox as one of the figures from whom he "expects more".
• The defender apologised on Thursday after meeting Michael Carrick, Wilcox and the board, and United considered the matter closed.
• Schmeichel argues that successful Premier League teams built their projects from the back, not from the front.

What Lisandro Martinez said after the Atletico Madrid loss

The controversy erupted in the early hours after the 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid. Lisandro Martinez spoke to several media outlets at full time and aimed a direct message at the Old Trafford boardroom. He pointed at director of football Jason Wilcox as one of the people from whom he expected more drive, and repeated his stance in front of the CBS cameras, where he was interviewed by Peter Schmeichel himself.

The Argentina international summed up his position in one line: "I'm not going to close my mouth, we need more ambition." Those words ignited the debate about the internal health of the Manchester United dressing room and put the spotlight on a leadership structure that fans have questioned for years.

Lisandro Martinez's apology and the club's response

On Thursday, just two days after his comments, the 28-year-old centre-back publicly apologised for his words. Before releasing that statement he met with manager Michael Carrick, with Jason Wilcox and with the club's senior leadership. Manchester United made it known that the matter was considered closed, although the subject still dominated Carrick's Friday press conference.

Schmeichel: "Some of the things he said are not that far off"

Schmeichel addressed the controversy during an appearance on The Overlap Daily. The former United goalkeeper explained that he would never have wanted a teammate to go out and talk that way in public, but he added a significant caveat. "It's not that I completely disagree with what he says. That's the other thing," he said.

Without going into too much detail about what Martinez said, some of the things he said are not that far off.

The former goalkeeper reached for his memory to compare United's current state with other winning Premier League projects. He recalled the path followed by Manchester City, Arsenal and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, stressing that all of them transformed their fortunes by strengthening the goalkeeper, the back line and central midfield first. Only after that solid foundation was in place did they add creative talent.

What is at stake for Manchester United in the project rebuild

The underlying debate is not new at Old Trafford: while direct rivals built stable sporting structures, United have endured season after season of upheaval in the boardroom and on the bench. Martinez's criticism challenges not only Jason Wilcox but an entire management model that still cannot find the formula to return the club to the top.

Schmeichel contrasted United's strategy with that of clubs who built from the back before adding attacking pieces. His reading suggests the club has prioritised investment in forwards and creative players before securing a reliable spine. Coming from a club legend, that diagnosis adds weight to Martinez's words.

Peter Schmeichel on the culture of a winning dressing room

The former keeper also championed the culture of accountability that existed in the dressing rooms he knew. He explained that back then players held each other responsible and that it was rare for anyone to step out of line. The presence of Sir Alex Ferguson guaranteed that no one deviated from the official message.

Schmeichel admitted that, with the exception of a natural leader like Bryan Robson, he would not have liked hearing a teammate discuss internal matters in front of the cameras. Still, his reflection draws a line between the manner and the substance, and the substance, in his view, deserves to be heard.

Lisandro Martinez Manchester United controversy FAQ