Manchester United
Carrick Rejects Claims Over Martínez as Butt Launches Fresh Attack
Carrick backs Martínez’s commitment as Butt delivers a fierce criticism of the defender.
Michael Carrick has moved to quash suggestions that Lisandro Martínez is lacking commitment, after the defender came under a fierce public attack from Nicky Butt.
Questions have been raised over Martínez’s future at Old Trafford, with his current deal due to expire at the end of the season although it does include the option of a 12-month extension. But Carrick rejected the idea that the situation has created any issue behind the scenes.
“I’ve got no concerns about his commitment at all,” the United boss stressed. “Things happen in football sometimes. You do things, sometimes you make your decisions, sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes it goes well for you. But the commitment is not an issue, for sure.
“The dressing room is a good, good place, so perception’s a funny thing. You can make things look in different ways and think about all sorts of things.
“I’ve said it before, the commitment of the players to the club, to me, to each other, I don’t question that at all. We need to play better. We can make better decisions, but commitment’s not a thing at all.”
That defence came after Butt delivered a blistering assessment of Martínez’s recent behaviour and performances. The former United midfielder, who made 387 appearances for the club between 1993 and 2004, did not hold back in his criticism.
“That lad’s a bluffer, full stop,” Butt told Football Uncensored . “Just a bluffer. The Butcher, his nickname is. I mean it’s … yeah.”
Butt also referenced Martínez’s “touchy” response to previous criticism from Paul Scholes and said he felt the defender was short on effort and conviction. He then pointed to what he saw as a costly incident against Chelsea.
“He’s got the audacity to go out onto an interview and s— off the powers that be about buying players when he’s not even playing well himself,” Butt continued. “If they were going to go and buy players, he’d be careful because he’s the first one they’d replace. Performance-wise, he’s been lacking so much.
“Listen, I was never the best player. I know my level, I know I had a lot of bad games. But one thing I did every single time I went out was ran my myself into the ground and was honest when looking at my teammates in the eye and said, ‘I gave you everything I’ve got. I might’ve been c— today but I worked hard.’
“[Martínez] threw it in the other day [against Chelsea]. He threw it in with that elbow because that was the most obvious thing anyone could do. The reason why he did it is because he’s not strong enough to defend properly.
“He thought, ‘You know what, I’ll cut corners, I’ll cheat, I’ll put my elbow is someone’s face and I’ll get sent off and I’ll leave all the other 10 lads, who by the way I said two weeks ago that these aren’t good enough to play with me.’
“I’m getting changed in the changing room and I’m sitting next to these lads and they’re going, ‘He thinks I’m not good enough.’ If that was back in my day, he would’ve completely have had his head ripped off. Everyone would’ve said, ‘Who do you think you are talking about me like that with the performances you’re putting in?’”
Manchester United
Baleba injury compounds United’s mixed night against Roma
Baleba’s injury clouded United’s Roma win, even as Fernandes and Cunha turned the match around.
Manchester United’s Champions League meeting with Roma on Tuesday delivered both relief and concern, with Carlos Baleba’s latest injury casting a shadow over a comeback win.
Baleba, who had already missed the beginning of the season because of an ankle problem, went down in clear discomfort after driving forward in the second half. He was holding his hamstring before dropping to the turf, prompting immediate treatment from medical staff on the pitch. The summer signing looked emotional before he was withdrawn in the 51st minute and replaced by Youri Tielemans.
The setback only deepened the frustration around a player who has made just six appearances for the club since arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion. Michael Carrick is expected to offer an update on the injury in the coming hours.
Even so, United found a way through. Bruno Fernandes levelled matters from the spot after being given a second attempt at his penalty when encroachment forced a retake of the saved effort. Later, Matheus Cunha struck twice to complete a 3-2 victory for the hosts and keep the match from slipping away.
The result offered a rare lift in a difficult spell, but the broader picture remains bleak. Carrick has been managing a depleted squad for some time, with Benjamin Šeško, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte still out with long-term issues. Kobbie Mainoo has only just returned, while Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martínez have also spent time in the infirmary.
That injury situation, combined with an underwhelming summer transfer window, has left United short on depth during an important run of fixtures. Before the visit of Roma, they had not won a single game in that stretch.
Manchester United
Baleba setback deepens Manchester United’s injury crisis
Baleba’s injury against Roma added to a growing Manchester United crisis and thin squad.
Manchester United’s difficult run took another hit on Tuesday when Carlos Baleba picked up what appeared to be a serious injury in the Champions League meeting with Roma.
The summer signing, who had already missed the opening stretch of the campaign because of an ankle problem, looked in clear distress after pushing forward on a run in the second half. He was seen clutching his hamstring before going to the turf, and the concern around him was obvious.
Medical staff treated him on the pitch, and Baleba seemed emotional before he was withdrawn in the 51st minute and replaced by Youri Tielemans. Michael Carrick is expected to offer a fuller assessment after the final whistle.
It is a bitter blow for a player who has made only six appearances in a red shirt since arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion, but the wider impact on United may be even greater.
Carrick is already dealing with a long list of absentees. Benjamin Šeško, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte are all still sidelined with longer-term problems, while Kobbie Mainoo has only just returned after his own spell out. Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martínez have also spent time in the infirmary.
That depleted squad has been stretched further by an underwhelming summer transfer window, leaving Carrick short of options during a demanding run of fixtures. The result has been a club unable to find a win in any of those matches, with the injury picture continuing to undermine any attempt to build momentum.
Al Nassr
Ronaldo shrugs off Ten Hag’s fresh remarks as feud carries on
Ronaldo has brushed off Ten Hag’s latest criticism, with the feud between the pair still unresolved.
Cristiano Ronaldo has made it clear he has little interest in re-opening his dispute with Erik ten Hag. According to Morgan, the forward’s view is simple: the former Manchester United manager is not “worth talking about”.
Ten Hag’s latest comments arrived in a two-part interview with The Athletic last month, when he claimed Ronaldo “let the team down.” He later went further on Dutch television, appearing on Goedemorgen Eredivisie and saying the forward was finished by the time he left Juventus in 2021, aged 36. “For the last seven or eight years, he just hasn’t been able to deliver,” Ten Hag said, adding that it was Real Madrid’s “great gift” to allow a player to depart before the decline set in.
Ronaldo has not publicly answered those remarks, but Morgan said he asked the player directly. Speaking on his Football Uncensored YouTube channel, he said: “I did ask Cristiano about it and he said he didn’t think that Ten Hag was worth talking about.”
Morgan then offered his own opinion on the situation, arguing that Ronaldo could still have contributed plenty more at Manchester United. “I think Ronaldo could have given United another two, three years and scored a lot of goals for them,” he said. “It would have been an excellent, excellent comeback if he’d had the right manager with him. But he didn’t. He had a guy that disrespected him, treated him like s—, a bit like the Portuguese manager is trying to do now.
“These guys like to make a name for themselves out of Ronaldo.”
At 2026 stage of his career, Ronaldo is approaching the end of the road. He has already admitted that this is likely to be his final season in professional soccer, with his Al Nassr contract set to expire next summer.
He opted to continue with Portugal after the 2026 World Cup, when Lionel Messi chose to step away from Argentina for good, but matters have since unravelled again. Last month, a falling out with Jorge Jesus over what Ronaldo viewed as disrespect sparked the latest tension.
Ronaldo is now serving a one-month suspension from the national team, during a period with no international fixtures. He has also been fined a nominal amount, though there is an expectation that he will be recalled this month.
