Manchester United currently sit third in the Premier League with 58 points from 33 matches, putting them in a strong position to secure Champions League football next season. Since Michael Carrick took over in January, he’s maintained a 62% win rate across 13 matches, finally bringing some stability to a club that had spent most of the year bouncing from one crisis to the next.
Their last five games tell a familiar story: wins against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, a draw at Bournemouth, and tough losses to Newcastle and Leeds. The football hasn’t always been pretty, but Carrick has at least given the side a sense of direction. However, underneath it all, one specific problem won’t go away, and it wears the number six shirt.
Lisandro Martinez’s red card against Leeds reignites serious questions
On 13 April at Old Trafford, Lisandro Martinez was sent off in the 56th minute after VAR caught him pulling the hair of Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, an act ruled as violent conduct. Noah Okafor had already bagged a first-half brace, and the red card left United chasing the game with ten men.
They eventually lost 2-1, marking Carrick’s first defeat at home. Following the match, former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that the club now have serious concerns about Martinez’s future. Brown noted that, between his injury record and various suspensions, Martinez just isn’t available enough, and even when he does play, he hasn’t hit the heights expected of him.
He also pointed out that the drop-off in quality is glaring whenever Harry Maguire isn’t there to cover, which is a worrying sign for a defender of Martinez’s reputation. Looking at the numbers, the Argentine has only managed 15 Premier League appearances this season, with United conceding 12 goals and keeping just three clean sheets in that time.
His side give up a goal roughly every 80 minutes while he’s on the pitch, a stat that makes it hard to defend his spot in the lineup. While he averages 1.31 tackles and 4.22 clearances per game, those stats don’t mean much when his lack of availability is the real issue.
“Man United have serious concerns about Martinez,” Brown told Football Insider.
“He’s had a lot of injuries this season, and when he’s not injured, he’s suspended. The red cards and that nasty streak have been a concern for a while.
“And then he had that knee injury, which seems to have caused more complications.
“He’s not available often enough to make a real impact on the team, and when he is available, his performances haven’t been up to standard.
“When Harry Maguire is out of the team, there is a noticeable drop off and that should be alarming for the likes of Martinez, who you would expect to step up.
“They have other priorities in the transfer market, but if these frustrations continue, they could look at bringing in a more reliable option to replace him.”
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Does Martinez still deserve a future at Old Trafford?
To be honest, the evidence is hard to ignore. A centre-back who misses huge chunks of the season through injury and then picks up a red card the moment he returns gives the club nothing to lean on. Martinez arrived with plenty of hype and clear talent, but this season has revealed a harsh truth: United can’t build a defence around a player they can’t rely on to stay on the pitch.
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As the summer window approaches, United are staring down a genuine defensive crisis, worsened by the fact that Martinez’s absences are often self-inflicted. Carrick deserves a backline he can actually count on, rather than another season of hoping the Argentine stays fit.
