Lisandro Martinez, a defender for Manchester United, has been “amazing” this season, according to Jamie Carragher, who has admitted he was mistaken in his first evaluation of the Argentine.
What did Carragher say about Martinez in August?
Martinez struggled in his first two matches, which both Brentford and Brighton won, having followed manager Erik ten Hag from Ajax to Old Trafford.
The later game, a 4-0 defeat in West London, led Carragher to declare that the Argentine’s height would be a problem for him this season.
Following Martinez’s summer transfer from Ajax to Manchester United, Carragher is infamous for writing off the defender, believing Martinez was too small to play centre-back in the Premier League.
“We shouldn’t make snap decisions about coaches or players, but given his size and the fact that he is playing in a back four,” he said to Sky Sports, “I’m confident this can’t work.”
“He may be able to go left-back, and he might be able to play in a back three, but he cannot play in a back four in the Premier League.”
Carragher admits he was wrong about Martinez
Since then, Martinez has disproved Carragher by playing a significant role for Manchester United and developing a great working relationship with Raphael Varane at the centre of the Red Devils’ defence.
Martinez was a member of the Argentina team that won the 2022 World Cup, and Carragher acknowledges he was wrong about Martinez.
🚨 Jamie Carragher admits he was wrong on his judgement of Lisandro Martinez.🇦🇷
🎥 YT: (The Overlap) https://t.co/7e9L2rISY1
— 𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗴’𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘀 ✍🏼🇳🇱 (@TenHagBall_) February 9, 2023
“I consider him to be excellent. You have to be a special and terrific player to be that little and play centre-back,” He spoke with The Overlap.
“Someone so big couldn’t possibly compete in the Premier League, but he has. He’s been outstanding. He has played a significant role in what I previously indicated regarding the spirit of United.”
“A few weeks ago, I watched him play in a match where someone scored a late goal while he was on the bench. Argentinian, you saw him at the World Cup; he has that fighting spirit.”
