Michael Carrick is not willing to drop Lisandro Martinez and has backed the defender to remain committed to Manchester United, despite his recent poor form and criticism of the club’s hierarchy and his teammates.
Martinez is expected to start against Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday as United attempt to end a nine-game winless run. The Argentina international was fined after criticising the club’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, and implying his teammates signed last summer were not good enough.
He then received the red card against Chelsea at the weekend which cost United the game. Martinez has made big, costly errors in four of United’s matches this season as the club sit 17th in the Premier League in November.
Carrick said the defender’s commitment was not in question despite the recent incidents.
“I’ve got no concerns about commitment at all,” the United manager said. “Things happen in football, sometimes you do things, sometimes you make a decision, sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes it goes well for you, but the commitment is not an issue.”
United have lost their past two Champions League matches against Atletico Madrid and Como and sit 21st in the league phase. Carrick faces mounting pressure ahead of a crucial week that also includes Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.
Martinez will be suspended for that game after his dismissal against Chelsea, but Carrick insisted he was concentrating on the immediate challenge rather than the uncertainty surrounding his position.
“I can’t look into the future, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “That doesn’t change the way I feel, that’s how we’re preparing for the game tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to the game.
“You might think I’m crazy with the results we’ve had and what’s going on, but I genuinely can’t wait for the game tomorrow and that’s all I’m focused on. Whatever happens is going to happen after that, in whatever direction it goes in.”
United’s latest home match ended in a 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth, with supporters at the Stretford End booing the players at full-time. Kobbie Mainoo said the team had to respond to the frustration among the fans.
“In these tough times you can’t expect the fans 100,000% of the time to be happy and cheering when we’re not putting out results,” the midfielder said. “We owe it to them to put the results out there for them to cheer again.”
Mainoo also said the players had a responsibility to support Carrick after the manager’s backing of the squad.
“I feel like our way to repay that [the manager’s support] is to also be behind the manager on the pitch and off it and fight for us and fight for us as a team.”
