Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez Responds to Class of 92 Critiques
In a recent exchange involving Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez, former players Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes have weighed in on the matter.
During an episode of 'The Good, The Bad, The Football' podcast, where Butt and Scholes had previously teased Martinez ahead of the Manchester derby, the duo acknowledged his impressive performance in the 2-0 victory against Manchester City at Old Trafford. However, they expressed concerns about his reaction to their comments.
"Fair play to him," Butt remarked. "He has gone man-to-man with the best centre forward in the world. We come on here and say, 'well done.' Brilliant. He has done really well."
Butt continued, "I just think when someone gets so upset about something on a podcast or in the media, to come out and say, 'they can say what they want' and 'come to my house' – grow up. If you are going to get so emotional about someone saying something about you and react like that, you shouldn’t be at a big football club."
Prior to the match, Butt and Scholes humorously suggested that Manchester City's Erling Haaland would easily overpower the 5ft 7in Martinez.
Following the victory, Martinez responded, stating, "Everyone can talk on television, but when you see [them] here face to face, no one says anything."
This exchange highlights the complex relationship between Manchester United and their legendary 'Class of 92' players.
The Class of 92, which includes Ryan Giggs, Scholes, David Beckham, Butt, and the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil, collectively made 3,448 appearances for the club. They were pivotal in forming the second great team under Sir Alex Ferguson, which became the first in England to win the Treble in 1999.
Giggs briefly served as interim manager after David Moyes was dismissed in 2014 and has held coaching roles alongside Butt, Scholes, and Phil Neville. Butt, who was appointed as United's head of academy in 2016, has a deep commitment to the club's youth development.
On December 15, Butt joined United officials to coach underprivileged children on behalf of Sir Bobby Charlton's Foundation, despite the club's Premier League match against Bournemouth occurring that evening.
Butt has previously voiced strong objections to comments from United officials regarding youth development, claiming it encompasses more than just winning. Recently, he also alleged that the club threatened to cancel his season tickets.
Just days before Butt's charitable appearance, Gary Neville attended an announcement at Old Trafford where United confirmed their partnership with UA92 University, founded by the Class of 92 in 2019.
Despite the occasional tensions, the bond remains strong, and their insights, particularly critical ones, are highly sought after.
In October, Giggs attended the Training Ground Guru conference at Old Trafford, expressing concerns about Ruben Amorim's tactical choices regarding player positioning.
All members of the Class of 92 frequently share their views on match days at Hotel Football, a hotel they co-own located just steps from Old Trafford. The establishment has previously been a point of contention, as United initially attempted to halt its construction, although the club now occasionally utilizes it.
Neville, whether as a commentator or host of the successful 'Stick to Football' podcast, is never short of opinions. In a press conference that led to his dismissal, Amorim cited Neville as someone whose views were overly influential within the club.
This remains a topic of debate. However, unlike former captain Roy Keane, whose criticisms of new manager Michael Carrick have been pointed, Neville was trusted to engage with his former teammate on camera in the Old Trafford tunnel before the derby.
Discussing the perception that the Class of 92 and United are at odds, Neville remarked, "That's a theory. There were some concerns a few years ago, but that's been smoothed over. I don’t think there are any issues now; the Class of 92 is desperate for the club to succeed and feels disappointed and frustrated when they lose."
United’s Chief Operating Officer, Collette Roche, echoed this sentiment, stating, "Many of our ex-players are in media and will have opinions about the team. That’s fine. The Class of 92 are part of our family, and the relationship we have with UA92 goes far deeper than the latest headline or podcast."
While Butt and Scholes suggest that players should disregard external opinions, Martinez's response indicates that this is not always the case.
Martinez noted, "We exchanged messages on Instagram quite some time ago because he wasn’t happy with something I said. I can’t remember what it was, but he said he had lost all respect for me. I sent him my phone number, but I have never heard anything from him."