A heated exchange has erupted between current Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez and club legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, sparking debate about player mentality in top-level football. The controversy began when Scholes and Butt, during their podcast ‘The Good, The Bad and The Football,’ humorously questioned Martinez’s ability to handle Manchester City’s towering striker Erling Haaland in Saturday’s derby match, suggesting Haaland might physically ‘pick him up and run with him.’
Martinez responded defiantly to the criticism, delivering an exceptional performance in United’s 2-0 victory and subsequently inviting Scholes to his home for a direct conversation. The Argentine defender’s commanding display on the field contrasted sharply with his strong reaction to the former players’ comments.
While acknowledging Martinez’s impressive derday performance, Scholes maintained reservations about the defender’s long-term suitability for a title-winning campaign. ‘He’s had one brilliant game, but when you start talking and shouting your mouth off, this game has a habit of coming and biting you back,’ Scholes commented on their podcast episode released Monday.
Butt questioned Martinez’s emotional response to what he characterized as lighthearted commentary. ‘It’s tongue-in-cheek, it’s obvious Haaland isn’t actually going to pick him up and run with him,’ Butt stated. ‘I think when someone gets so upset about something in the media or a podcast… to come out and say, ‘Come over to my house’, grow up.’
Both former United midfielders emphasized they held no personal issue with Martinez but expressed concern about his sensitivity to criticism, suggesting that dealing with scrutiny comes with the territory of playing for a major club like Manchester United.