Former Liverpool midfielder, Danny Murphy has criticised Lisandro Martinez following his dismissal during Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, describing the Argentine defender as a growing liability.
Murphy also believes Martinez could struggle to regain his place in the team when he completes his suspension, suggesting that interim manager Michael Carrick may be reluctant to bring him back into the starting lineup.
Manchester United suffered another disappointing result at Stamford Bridge, where goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer secured all three points for Chelsea.
Rogers opened the scoring shortly after half-time, putting the home side ahead and increasing the pressure on United to find a response.
However, the visitors’ chances of getting back into the game suffered another setback in the 63rd minute when Martinez received his second yellow card and was sent off.
Chelsea took full advantage of their numerical superiority, with Palmer converting the resulting penalty from 12 yards to double the hosts’ advantage.
The Blues subsequently controlled proceedings and protected their lead to secure a valuable victory that moved them into fourth place in the Premier League standings.
The result also ended Chelsea’s difficult run of home performances without a clean sheet, marking their first home victory without conceding in 13 matches.
For Manchester United, however, the defeat extended their winless run in all competitions to nine games, further increasing the uncertainty surrounding Carrick’s position at Old Trafford.
Martinez’s latest disciplinary setback has added to an increasingly difficult campaign for the World Cup-winning defender, who has also attracted attention for his public criticism of Manchester United’s hierarchy last month.
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, Murphy was asked whether describing Martinez as a liability was too harsh following his sending-off against Chelsea.
The former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder responded that the description was becoming increasingly appropriate, given the defender’s experience and quality.
“It’s getting that way. A player of that experience and quality, he knows better,” Murphy said.
He further suggested that something appeared to be affecting Martinez’s performances, arguing that a player of his ability should not be making the kind of mistakes witnessed in recent matches.
“There’s something obviously not right at the moment in his head, he’s in a different space, because you don’t see the poor performances for a player of that quality,” he added.
Murphy also questioned whether Martinez would return to United’s starting lineup after serving his suspension.
“When he’s served the suspension, I think it’s unlikely that Michael, if he’s still the manager, is going to put him back in,” he concluded.
Martinez’s latest dismissal therefore raises further questions about his position at Manchester United, particularly as the club continues to struggle for results.
