'Like A Circus': Former Manchester United Star Drops Bomb On Club After Lisandro Martinez Criticises Club Hierarchy

Roy Keane has branded Manchester United "like a circus" after Lisandro Martinez criticised the club's hierarchy following Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid.

The row lands at a bad time for United. The loss in Madrid stretched their winless run to five games and they have won just one of their opening six Premier League matches. Martinez's remarks matter because they add to the scrutiny on the dressing room and the club's leadership during a poor start to the season.

Speaking after the defeat, Martinez said he had expected more investment in the squad in the summer and "more from our technical director". A day later, on Wednesday, he tried to explain the outburst and said he had spoken out of "anger and frustration".

Martinez's Criticism

Martinez went public after the loss.

The defender spoke after Tuesday's 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and said he had expected more summer backing for the squad. He also called for "more from our technical director".

He later sought to cool the fallout. In a social media post on Wednesday, Martinez said he had spoken out of "anger and frustration".

Martinez is 28. He is out of contract at the end of the season, though United hold an option to extend his deal by another year.

Keane's Verdict On Martinez

Keane saw a bigger problem.

Speaking on The Overlap podcast, the former United captain said Martinez's remarks were a sign of the wider disorder at the club. "There will be some fans saying it's great and some saying you're letting the team down, especially from a player who hasn't been at his best, when the team is struggling," he said.

Keane then widened the criticism. "I think as a reflection of the club, it's obviously chaos there, like a bit of a circus."

He also turned the focus back on players. "When you're going through a difficult spell like United are, the issue I have with certain players saying things is you always have to start with the man in the mirror before you start coming out with all these comments."

Keane does not expect the issue to explode into a major rift. "I don't think it will be a big falling-out - because I think we have question marks over this dressing room anyway," he said.

He was blunt about the squad. "I don't think there's enough characters - enough men in there - but I don't see him as a senior player at Manchester United. I see him as a centre-half who's making lots of mistakes," he said.

Neville's Rooney Comparison

Neville reached for a Rooney parallel.

The former United defender compared Martinez's remarks with Wayne Rooney's comments in 2010, when Rooney pulled out of contract talks. At the time, Rooney said he had not received "any of the assurances I was seeking about the future squad".

That dispute ended quickly. Two days later Rooney signed a five-year deal and later said staying at United was the best decision of his career.

Neville argued Martinez's comments would anger team-mates. "I've got a problem with this from a player's perspective," he said. "That is a direct attack on the players you are playing with."

He then named the likely flashpoint inside the dressing room. "So if I were Harry Maguire or Bruno Fernandes, or any other senior player, I would be absolutely fuming with him because you're basically saying we shouldn't be here and we should be bringing more players in," he said.

Leeds Trip Ahead

Next comes another test.

United travel to Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday, with pressure building after a five-game winless run and the fresh fallout from Martinez's comments.