It took solely two video games for some to query whether or not Lisandro Martinez might make it at Manchester United.
In a matter of months, nevertheless, the World Cup winner from Argentina has established himself as a bedrock of United’s four-pronged trophy problem and develop into one of the crucial dominant defenders within the English Premier League.
“In the beginning, in Argentina, it was the same (to doubt),” Martinez mentioned. “But it’s normal because, in football, it’s not normal to play as a center back with my height.”
At 5-foot-9 (1.75 meters), he was dismissed as too small to play centre again within the league and United’s stunning 4-0 loss to Brentford in August was proof to some that he was out of his depth.
Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool centre again who’s a tv commentator, described the Argentine’s peak as a “huge problem” for United supervisor Erik ten Hag.
“I can’t control that. It’s just an opinion,” Martinez mentioned. “I understand when people say that, they show me who they are. It’s not my problem.”
United paid nearly $58 million to signal Martinez from Ajax final yr after Ten Hag recognized him as a key a part of his rebuild at Old Trafford. The pair labored collectively for 3 years on the Dutch membership and Martinez’s skill to play out from the again together with his left foot was thought of very important to the brand new supervisor’s plans.
Focus, nevertheless, was on his peak, fairly than his ball expertise after United’s back-to-back losses within the opening two video games of the league, together with the humiliation at Brentford.
Martinez was not solely a goal for opposition gamers however critics as nicely.
“It was tough, for sure, because it was not the start that we wanted,” he mentioned. “It was hard, the result, the way that we lose, the attitude was really bad.
“The team, we changed directly the mentality. It was like, OK, we are in the ground, but now we have to prove, to fight again. Sometimes it is good to see the bad things and then you have to change on the pitch.”
Few would have anticipated United to nonetheless be in rivalry on 4 fronts after such a troubled begin.
On Thursday, United knocked out Barcelona from the Europa League with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. On Sunday, the crew can win the primary trophy of the season when it performs Newcastle within the English League Cup ultimate at Wembley Stadium.
A Premier League title problem can also be on for third-placed United, and the crew is within the FA Cup fifth spherical.
While Ten Hag values Martinez’s technical qualities, his preventing spirit has seen him develop into a favourite amongst followers.
“Argentine players are always like this, we are passionate,” Martinez mentioned. “Football for us is like everything so that is why we always give everything of us. As a kid, I remember when I was really young, like four or five years old, I start to fight and I start to cry when I lose, so it is something we have in the blood, we have in the heart. It’s our culture.”
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com