Scholes and Butt once again shared their opinions about the Argentine defender after the 2-0 victory in the classic against City, and a former Red Devil publicly came out to support him
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The victory of Manchester United over Manchester City did not manage to quell the controversy surrounding Lisandro Martínez. On the contrary, the 2-0 at Old Trafford, with the Argentine defender as one of the standout performers, reignited the clash with two former club leaders, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, who revisited the issue on their podcast and expanded on their opinions.
In The Good, The Bad and The Football, Butt acknowledged the center-back's performance in the classic: "He was brilliant before anything else. He faced the best center forward in the world man to man. He and Harry (Maguire), to be fair," he stated.
Martínez fue clave en la victoria en el derbi de Manchester
However, he clarified that this is the minimum that can be expected in a match of that magnitude: "We say brilliant, well done, they have done well, but this is what is expected from a Manchester United player in a classic."
Even while praising him, both former players tried to put their previous criticism into context. Butt maintained that his comments were made in an ironic tone and played down the Argentine's reaction: "We are a podcast, we talk like three lads in a pub… It was an ironic comment. It is figurative language." "I do not hate him, it was an opinion. It was an ironic conversation about his physique," he added.
He then was harsher and targeted Martínez's response: "When someone gets so angry about something in the media or on a podcast and comes out and says 'come to my house'… grow up. If you are going to get that emotional, you should not be at a big club."
Scholes cuestionó la reacción de Martínez
Scholes, meanwhile, revealed that there had been prior contact with the defender: "I exchanged messages on Instagram some time ago with Lisandro. He was upset about something I said and I sent him my phone number, but I did not hear anything else," he recounted.
Despite highlighting his performance against City, he maintained his football doubts: "I have not changed my opinion about him yet… I am not sure you can win a league with him in the team." He even joked that the criticism could serve as motivation: "Criticism inspires. We must take some of the credit for Martínez's performance."
The other United legend who stepped up to support Lisandro Martínez
Amid the debate, another historic United voice stepped up to back the Argentine. Rio Ferdinand considered that the discussion crossed certain lines: "This week I think things have been said that have probably gone past the line, becoming personal," he stated.
He also defended Martínez's right to speak out: "He is someone who just wants to do well, to win, and to restore Manchester United's standards. He has the right, if something irritates him, to express it."
Rio Ferdinand bancó a Martínez
Ferdinand also put the world champion's words into context: "He is not proposing a fight, he is only requesting a direct conversation if someone has a problem. We are talking about a world champion; he knows how to win," he asserted.
He concluded with a personal reflection: "I have always prided myself on never being personal. I can analyze performances, form, the way they play, but as an individual and former player of the club, I have never wanted to cross that line and I hope I have not done so."
