Manchester United walked out of Elland Road in silence on Saturday. After the 1-1 draw with Leeds, the club's players kept clear of the written press – a clear sign that the fallout from Lisandro Martinez's angry outburst a week earlier is still being felt inside Old Trafford.
Key takeaways
- Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha told reporters they were "not allowed" to talk after the Leeds game.
- Lisandro Martinez was fined for publicly demanding "more" from football director Jason Wilcox.
- United are winless in six matches and sit 13th with one league win from seven.
- Bournemouth visit Old Trafford next Sunday, with Michael Carrick under growing pressure.
A quiet walk through the mixed zone
The mixed zone is where journalists wait after the final whistle, hoping to grab a few words from players heading to the team bus. At Elland Road, United's stars simply passed through. Captain Bruno Fernandes kept it short, explaining he could not speak because he was not permitted to, while Matheus Cunha stopped briefly to explain the situation to a Brazilian reporter before moving on.
According to the report, the club's press team had not issued a formal instruction to avoid the written media. Even so, the message seemed clear – and in fairness, United players rarely stop in the mixed zone without a press officer beside them anyway. One of the few recent exceptions was goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who chatted to reporters unaccompanied after the 1-1 draw with West Ham in February.
The Martinez fallout
The silence comes days after Lisandro Martinez caused a stir following the 2-0 Champions League defeat away at Atletico Madrid. The Argentine defender openly criticised the club's leadership and called on director of football Jason Wilcox to deliver "more", a rare public swipe from a senior player that earned him a fine.
At Leeds there was no danger of a repeat. Martinez did not even make it to full time – he was withdrawn at the break with a thigh problem – and only Harry Maguire faced the cameras afterwards, speaking to the broadcast rights holders and to the club's in-house channel, MUTV.
Another lead slips away
On the pitch, the story was painfully familiar. United went ahead but could not hold on, and Leeds became the third team this season to come back and draw against Michael Carrick's side. The run without a win now stands at six games, leaving the Red Devils 13th in the Premier League with just one victory from their opening seven matches.
Carrick's view
Speaking to the BBC, Carrick called it a tough, tense game that could have gone either way. He praised his players' application and how they handled their roles in a hostile atmosphere, adding that United would "take the point and move on".
Moving on will need to happen quickly. Bournemouth are next up at Old Trafford on Sunday, and with results drying up and tension spilling into the open, another dropped point would only turn up the heat on the manager and the boardroom alike.
Source: The Sun
