Lisandro Martínez walks back criticism of Manchester United's hierarchy

It's one thing to speak in the heat of the moment after a loss, and quite another to stand by those words two days later. Lisandro Martínez chose the latter, though with some nuance: he walked back the tone of his criticism of Manchester United's hierarchy following the 2-0 loss to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Argentine defender posted a message on his Instagram account explaining, without fully retracting his comments, why he spoke the way he did right after the final whistle. "After the match, I spoke out of anger and frustration at not getting the result we all wanted," Lisandro began in his statement.

Those who know me know how I live soccer, with passion, commitment and a huge desire to win. And when things don't go the way we want, it hurts, especially when you represent a club with the history and stature of Manchester UnitedLisandro Martínez

So what exactly did he say to stir things up? Right after the final whistle against Atleti, Martínez had said he felt let down by the front office's decisions when it came to reinforcing the squad. "We had a fantastic season last year, and now we expect more from the people in charge, more players to compete with, because a lot of other teams are also bringing in a lot of players," the World Cup champion had said.

He didn't stop there. He was also self-critical about the team's performance, but one line in particular caused a stir behind the scenes: "You can't keep changing managers over and over. What's going on with other areas? I can't say any more," he said, in what sounded like a direct show of support for Carrick and, at the same time, a jab at the club's hierarchy.

Rooney's response

Lisandro's words didn't sit well everywhere. Wayne Rooney, a club legend, fired back hard and even compared the situation to an episode from his own past.

He disrespected his teammates. I had a similar situation with Sir Alex Ferguson, about players coming in, and I apologized two days later. So I can speak from experience about what he's just doneWayne Rooney

The former striker went further, pointing to United's young locker room, which he said this kind of statement does nothing to help. "I think it's very disrespectful, there are a lot of young players in that locker room who are looking to be guided by the more experienced ones. It's not going to help the club's situation right now," he added.

In his follow-up message, Martínez made clear that his demands start with himself first. "I know that, above all, it's us players who have to perform, and I put myself at the front of that responsibility," he wrote, closing with a line that sums up his stance: "My goal has been the same since day one: to win, to compete at the highest level and to give everything for this badge."