Schmeichel blasts Martinez as United crash 2-0 to Chelsea
Manchester United suffered a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, extending their winless run to nine matches and piling pressure on manager Michael Carrick. The turning point came in the 50th minute when Morgan Rogers capitalized on Lisandro Martinez's poor defending to open scoring. Fourteen minutes later, Martinez was sent off for striking Wesley Fofana with his forearm inside the box, and Cole Palmer converted the resulting penalty.
Club legend Peter Schmeichel didn't hold back, placing the loss "entirely on Lisandro Martinez's shoulders" and calling his performance "an absolute disgrace." The former goalkeeper highlighted Martinez's contract situation — he's in the final year — and referenced the defender's recent public criticism of teammates, suggesting he may be forcing a transfer. Schmeichel was particularly scathing about Martinez's defending for the first goal and his reaction to the red card: "He walks off the pitch shaking his head as if he's done nothing wrong. So poor."
With United sitting in unfamiliar territory and Carrick's position increasingly precarious, the January transfer window looms large. Martinez's value drops with each performance like this, but selling a World Cup-winning centre-back mid-season carries its own risks.
Should United cash in on Martinez in January to fund a rebuild, or back Carrick to turn this around with the current squad?