Michael Carrick says the Manchester United staff, executive and players will not dwell on the controversial incident this week when Lisandro Martinez criticised the club’s director of football following their Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid.
Martinez said he expected more from Jason Wilcox after United lost 2-0 in Madrid on Tuesday. He apologised two days later, saying the timing and setting of his remarks were inappropriate, but he did not withdraw his criticism of the club’s squad investment.
Carrick said the defender had acknowledged his mistake and that the club was ready to move on.
“He’s released his statement, he’s realised he’s made a mistake and that’s enough for all of us to move on with,” United’s manager said.
Asked whether Martinez should also have apologised to Wilcox and withdrawn his comments completely, Carrick replied: “From our point of view, the acknowledgment of what’s been done has certainly been enough, we’ve moved on and we’re definitely not looking back at it now.”
The issue comes as United face difficult opening weeks of the season, having collected only six points from their first six league games. They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton last month and have won one and lost one of their two Champions League matches.
Carrick takes his side to Leeds on Sunday with pressure mounting after their run of poor results. He rejected the suggestion that Martinez’s intervention had become an unwelcome distraction, and said the intensity behind the defender’s comments was not necessarily a bad thing.
“No, I understand emotion at times,” he said. “We ask for passion, we ask for emotion, we ask for fire and we ask for players to care. There’s a way of doing that, and that’s already been acknowledged, but we need to carry that intensity and that willingness and that togetherness and that spirit. As a group, we need to use it, and we’ve got to use it in the right way.”
In case you missed it, Michael provided fitness updates on Luke, Kobbie and Ben earlier 🗞️
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 16, 2026
Wayne Rooney, United’s record goalscorer, warned that Martinez’s comments “will rip the dressing room apart”. Carrick rejected that claim and said it instead helped bring the players closer together.
“Certain situations can galvanise the group, and it’s certainly galvanised the group as this week’s progressed,” Carrick said. “The boys are in a really good place right now.”
The manager also challenged the assumption that former players who comment on United necessarily have a clear picture of the situation inside the club.
“There’s a lot of people that say a lot of things, and ex-pros or not ex-pros, it doesn’t necessarily mean you understand what’s going on here,” he said. “I’m telling you the truth. The squad today [Friday] was in a fantastic place, better than I’ve seen it for a while.”
