If Manchester United’s defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers showed anything it’s that no one should be safe from the axe at Old Trafford, with far too many of the current crop continuing to underwhelm.
Aside from a brief purple patch during Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim stint – which was aided by a favourable run of fixtures – it has been a truly miserable season for the Red Devils, with not even the arrival of Ruben Amorim helping to shift the mood.
Now in 14th in the Premier League after 18 games, having scored just 21 top-flight goals, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find positives, with even man of the moment Amad Diallo looking somewhat off the boil at Molineux. The Ivorian was replaced late on after losing the ball 18 times and winning just five of his 19 total duels.
The change in the dugout, in truth, has only further exposed the lack of quality in the United squad, with focus once again needing to be turned toward recruitment decisions over the last few seasons, in particular, under Erik ten Hag’s watch.
Ten Hag's dismal recruitment record at Man Utd
In defence of the Dutchman, the £12.8m pickup of Noussair Mazraoui continues to look like an astute move, while the signing of Manuel Ugarte is also beginning to bear fruit, with the Uruguayan looking “unstoppable” in the Manchester Derby, according to Bruno Fernandes.
That said, other positives of the Ten Hag tenure are hard to find, with new man Joshua Zirkzee having notably scored just four times since arriving from Bologna this summer.
Looking further back, the £86m capture of Antony remains a baffling addition considering the Brazilian has scored just 12 goals and registered only five assists in 93 games for the club to date. The £70m signing of his compatriot, Casemiro, also deserves scrutiny, with the veteran midfielder now among those that INEOS are reportedly keen to sell.
Among those also signed in that first summer under Ten Hag was Lisandro Martinez, and while the Argentine impressed in that first campaign in English football, it has been a rocky road since. Could an exit even be in store before too long?
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After two defeats from two in Ten Hag’s first two games in charge, fingers were pointed at Martinez, in particular, with the 5 foot 10 centre-back notably hooked at the break amid the 4-0 thrashing at Brentford.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher was perhaps among the harshest critics, suggesting at the time that Martinez’s height means that he “cannot play” as a central defender “in the Premier League”.
To his credit, the former Ajax man – who was signed on a £56.7m deal – initially put those doubts to bed after shining for much of the 2022/23 season, having been lauded as one of the club’s “best signings” in “years”, in the words of Patrice Evra.
The ‘Butcher’s’ mix of silk and steel ensured he swiftly earned cult hero status at the Theatre of Dreams, with it perhaps no surprise that United’s campaign began to tail off in and around the season-ending injury he sustained against Sevilla in April 2023.
That was followed by another injury-hit 2023/24 campaign for the 26-year-old, as he made just 14 appearances in all competitions, albeit while starting alongside Raphael Varane in the FA Cup final.
Stat (per 90)
Ranking
Non-penalty goals
Bottom 33%
Assists
Top 12%
Pass completion
Top 30%
Progressive passes
Top 8%
Progressive carries
Top 21%
Tackles
Top 17%
Interceptions
Top 12%
Blocks
Bottom 32%
Clearances
Bottom 8%
Aerial duels won
Bottom 5%
As writer Liam Canning noted, the World Cup winner “hasn’t looked the same since the injury v Sevilla”, with it having been an especially poor few months for the defender in a United shirt.
Indeed, he was branded “quite simply appalling” by Gary Neville for his tame clearance for Spurs’ second goal in the 4-3 Carabao Cup defeat, while also failing to deal with Dominic Solanke for the home side’s third.
Against Nottingham Forest just a few weeks earlier, the diminutive defender also failed to keep out Chris Wood’s looping header, with journalist Alex Turk recently stating that Martinez has “cost United far too often inside his own box.”
Of course, there is a lot to like about the £41m-rated warrior, yet with reports earlier this month suggesting that Real Madrid are showing interest in his services, perhaps a sale might be in the best interests of all parties.
Indeed, a report from talkSPORT this month also claimed that United ‘could be tempted to cash in’ on Martinez if an offer from Madrid were to be received, with the player ‘not considered off limits for any potential buyer’.
With United seemingly needing more “physicality” in that left centre-back berth – in the words of Canning – a bold decision may need to be made regarding the defender’s future.
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1 ByCharlie SmithOct 3, 2025
