Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has firmly stated that he is "telling the truth" when he maintains that the club has completely moved on from Lisandro Martinez’s explosive post-match comments earlier this week. The controversy erupted in the wake of United’s 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, a result that further compounded a difficult period for the club and triggered widespread debate across the footballing world.
Carrick’s close friend and former United teammate, Wayne Rooney, led the external condemnation of Martinez following the match. Rooney warned that the Argentine defender’s public attack on the club’s hierarchy risked "ripping the dressing room apart." Other high-profile former United skippers, including Roy Keane and Gary Neville, also weighed in with sharp criticisms as part of a massive wave of media analysis that dominated sports headlines throughout the week.
In the aftermath of the storm, Martinez issued an apology specifically regarding the timing of his remarks, which thrust director of football Jason Wilcox firmly into the media spotlight. However, the defender notably stopped short of apologizing for the substance of the words themselves.
Speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference at United’s Carrington training ground, Carrick dismissed much of the external commentary surrounding the incident. He emphasized that outsiders lack genuine insight into the internal dynamics of the squad.
"There’s a lot of people who say a lot of things – ex-pros or not ex-pros – it doesn’t necessarily mean they understand what is going on here," Carrick said. "Just because people talk on the outside doesn’t mean that is the truth. I am telling you the truth. The squad today was in a fantastic place, better than I have seen it for a while. That is it, plain and simple. We are living it every day and know what it feels like."
Carrick acknowledged that emotions run high at a club of Manchester United’s stature, noting that players care deeply about results and performances. "We are emotional and care a lot. Sometimes someone says something that maybe you shouldn’t say at that certain time, but it doesn’t distract us from what we are creating here and the environment and spirit within the group," he added, reiterating that the playing squad remains completely unaffected by the media storm.
To prove that the team is united moving forward, Carrick confirmed that Martinez will be included in the matchday squad for Sunday’s high-stakes Premier League trip across the Pennines to face old rivals Leeds United at Elland Road.
Director of Football Jason Wilcox Under Scrutiny Again
The controversy reignited questions surrounding Jason Wilcox, the club’s director of football, who was specifically singled out for criticism by Martinez during his post-match remarks in Madrid. While Wilcox was omitted from Martinez’s subsequent written statement of apology, the executive was directly involved in the internal discussions that preceded the player’s clarification regarding his conduct.
Wilcox, who joined United as director of football following the departure of Dan Ashworth in December 2024, has found himself facing renewed scrutiny. The former Leeds and Blackburn player was previously targeted by Ruben Amorim during the manager’s final press conference before his dismissal in January. Despite holding a pivotal role at the club, Wilcox has maintained a low profile publicly, having spoken to club media channels only once over the past 12 months.
When asked by reporters whether Wilcox should step forward and explain his actions and policies directly to the broader media, Carrick deflected the question, maintaining that executive communication is not his primary remit.
"I don’t think it’s for me to say whether he should or not," Carrick remarked. "I’ve no problem sitting here, talking to you guys and leading the group, leading the team, leading the football club from this position. We’re all in it together."
Carrick also downplayed the significance of Wilcox’s omission from Martinez’s formal apology statement, viewing the matter as closed internally. "He’s released his statement, he’s realised he’s made a mistake, and I think that’s enough for all of us to move on with," Carrick said.
At the same time, the interim coach defended the passion behind the outburst, suggesting that a competitive edge is necessary within a successful team. "We ask for passion, we ask for emotion, we ask for fire and we ask for players to care. There’s a way of doing that, and that’s already been acknowledged," he noted. "But we need to carry that intensity, that willingness, togetherness and spirit and everything else you can bring with that. As a group, we need to use it, and we’ve got to use it in the right way."
Focus Shifts to On-Field Pressure and the Trip to Leeds
The distraction of negative headlines is far from ideal for Carrick as he attempts to steer the team through a critical juncture in the season. United head down to Elland Road to face Leeds on the back of a troubling five-match winless run in all competitions. A failure to secure a victory on Sunday would mean United go six games without a win for the first time since the end of the 2018-19 campaign, a bleak sequence that occurred shortly after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was confirmed as the club’s permanent manager.
While breaking that winless streak is vital for easing the intense pressure surrounding his own position and future at the club, Carrick firmly rejected the notion that personal stakes are the primary driving force behind his daily work.
"I don’t need results," he said. "We all need results. It’s not about me. Manchester United is a lot bigger than any individual. It is bigger than me, bigger than any player, or anyone else who works at this football club. It always has been."
Instead, Carrick emphasized a collective responsibility toward the institution and its storied heritage. "I don’t go into every day at work in this situation, ahead of this game, thinking it’s about me. It’s really not. It’s about the football club; what we stand for, what we live for, the history, the things that we need to live up to. That’s what drives us," he concluded ahead of Sunday afternoon’s fixture.