Paul Scholes is in the middle of an unexpected public spat with Lisandro Martinez, having seemingly changed his tune about the Manchester United defender. The pair have traded blows in public this week, with Scholes dismissing Martinez as not being Premier League-winning material, and Martinez firing back by warning Scholes he "wouldn't survive" in Argentina. On The Overlap Fan Debate, presented by Sky Bet, Scholes said: "Even when he [Martinez] is fit, he's not good enough to win the Premier League with.".
Martinez snapped back on Instagram, saying: "This jinx guy is really hurting... You put him in Argentina, and he wouldn't survive.". Scholes regularly sang Martinez's praised after his transfer from Ajax to United in 2022. Just a few weeks into the defender's debut campaign at Old Trafford, Scholes declared him as the only player deserving a 'guaranteed' spot in the first team. Furthermore, he insisted Martinez would be "a huge miss" when he hobbled off injured in United's Europa League game against Sevilla in April 2023. Saying that, Scholes has never shied away from critiquing the Argentine when he saw fit.
In the previous October, after United's victory over Sheriff, the former England star, 50, pointed out that Martinez needed to level up his one-on-one defending. "I still don't think he's the best one vs one. I think having Raphael Varane next to him has really helped to settle him," Scholes voiced at the time. A few months later, he lambasted Martinez for a "criminal" blunder during United's notorious 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool, asserting that the defender deserved a telling off. The first goal of the game was netted by Cody Gakpo, but Scholes thought the Dutchman's shot might have been saved by David de Gea if not for Martinez dropping into the six-yard box and obscuring the keeper's view.
"I certainly don't think it helped De Gea," Scholes said. "I don't think he's quite in line at the point it's kicked but David can also think the ball might hit him. But when he [Gakpo] does hit it, he has gone right past him. You see David's reaction there towards Martinez, he doesn't quite have a go at him, but I think he should do. "I think it happened a couple of times, once before with Robertson where he ended up clearing it off the line, he [Martinez] is going far too deep, he should be getting up the pitch, can he stop the shot or have an effect on the shot rather than get in the keeper's way.
"He needs to trust his goalkeeper. This is a top goalkeeper we're talking about, do not get in his way. If anybody gets in the goalkeeper's way it's criminal.". Last month, Scholes took his criticism further, suggesting United should part ways with Martinez during a 'Keep or Sell' segment for TNT Sports. "He's done okay of late, but I think I'd sell," said the former midfielder, who also insisted he would let go of Marcus Rashford, Matthijs de Ligt, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Casemiro, Antony, and Joshua Zirkzee.
Martinez was ruled out for the season after he sustained a severe knee injury during United's 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace earlier this month, with his return not anticipated until the year's end. The Argentine international's time at United has been marred by persistent fitness issues, causing him to sit out almost 60 matches (and counting) for both club and country, as per Transfermarkt. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
