Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has sharply criticized defender Lisandro Martinez following his red card during the team's 2-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Martinez received two yellow cards within 82 seconds in the second half. The second booking, which led to his dismissal, came when he extended an elbow into the face of Chelsea's Wesley Fofana inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty that Cole Palmer converted. This goal ultimately secured the victory for Chelsea.
Butt, speaking on Piers Morgan's show "Football Uncensored," labeled Martinez a "cheat" for the incident, suggesting it stemmed from an inability to defend properly. "Performance-wise, he's been lacking so much," Butt stated. "And again, I was never the best player. I know my level, I know I had a lot of bad games, but one thing I did every time I went out was run myself into the ground. He threw it in the other day."
Butt also addressed Martinez's recent public criticism of the club's transfer dealings, suggesting that in past United squads, such comments would have led to severe repercussions. "He has got the audacity to go out onto an interview and s**g off the powers that be about buying players when he is not even playing well himself," Butt commented. "And if they were going to spend money on players, he'd [ought to] be careful because he's the first one they'd replace." He added that in his playing days, Martinez would have faced significant backlash from teammates for speaking out while his own performances were subpar.
"If it was back in my day, he would have completely had his head ripped off," Butt said. "Everyone would have said, 'Who do you think you are talking about me like that with the performances you're putting in?'... He has now gone from - I have no idea why - someone that the fans loved to someone the fans loathe and want out of their football club."
This is not the first time Butt has voiced criticism of Martinez. The two had a public exchange earlier in the year when Martinez responded to comments from Butt and Paul Scholes regarding his stature, daring them to repeat their remarks in person. Butt referenced this incident, calling Martinez a "bluffer" and recounting a past exchange where he made a lighthearted comment about Erling Haaland being able to carry Martinez, which the defender then took exception to. "You can't say anything about these players because they get all touchy with it," Butt concluded.