Lisandro Martinez responded to Paul Scholes. (Image: Getty)
Lisandro Martinez has hit back at criticism from Manchester United legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, telling them they could “come to my house” if they “want to say something”. The Argentine defender was questioned by the former Red Devils duo ahead of the Manchester derby, but he responded with an excellent performance, helping the Reds keep a clean sheet against Manchester City.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Butt expressed his concerns about United’s young players who will face Erling Haaland in the derby. Scholes agreed, frowning as he mentioned “Martinez vs. Haaland.” Batt replied, “Haaland used to pick up Martinez and run with him. You know when you see dads running down the street with their little toddlers at school?” Scholes added: “He would score and then put it in the net.”
However, City had just one shot on target against Old Trafford, with Martinez putting in a dominant performance alongside Harry Maguire to neutralize the threat of Haaland, Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku.
After the final whistle at Old Trafford, Martinez addressed the media and was asked about Butt and Scholes’ comments. “Honestly, he (Mr Scholes) can say whatever he wants to say. He has already told me that if you want to say something to me, you can come anywhere.”
“At my house, wherever. I don’t care. And for me, I think I respect the relationship when you want to help the club, because everyone can talk on TV. But when you’re sitting here opposite each other, no one says anything to your face.”
“So for me, I don’t really care what they say. I’m just focused on my performance and the team’s performance and I’ll give everything to this club until the last day.”
Asked if such comments might add fuel to the fire, Martinez replied matter-of-factly: “No, nothing. It doesn’t give me anything. My motivation is my family. That’s it.”
Michael Carrick has enjoyed a strong start to his interim spell after being appointed on Tuesday, with Martinez praising the former midfielder for reminding the team of what it truly means to wear a United shirt.
Paul Scholes has denied Lisandro Martinez. (Image: Getty Images)
“It’s completely different, completely different,” Martinez said of his training sessions under Carrick. “The mentality is different, the man is different. He knows what this club really stands for.
“He sent us a message that he has been playing here for a long time. He has won everything. He is a great legend. He wants to help the club. And I think we were in a tough situation and today was the perfect moment to change that.”
“I think we deserved the win. We were better on the pitch and I think we gave it our all today. And when you give it your all and see the result, it’s a great feeling. I’m very happy today.”
In his post-match briefing, Carrick praised both Martinez and Maguire for establishing a solid defensive foundation. Martinez said of Maguire: “I’ve known him for a long time and we talk often.
“We had really good communication on the pitch today, and it wasn’t just with H. The team today was different. It was different. When you have a coach like Michael Carrick who can really understand and share the energy of the club and what it means, things change a lot.”
The Argentine defender also felt that his team’s fighting spirit lifted the crowd. “It’s a question of connection. It’s a question of how we represent them on the pitch. If we see them fighting like they did today, they will stay with us,” he explained.
“But even if sometimes our performances were not the best because they expect from us good attitude, tackling, DNA, Manchester United blood. And I really understand, because sometimes, what are we doing here? And today is the standard for this club.”
“I’m not focused on the result. I’m just focused on the performance, the connection with the people, the connection with the team. I look at it today and think today they didn’t have a shot on goal. One shot, well, just one shot. And you can feel the mentality. You can feel something different. I’m happy with it.”
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