Roy Keane has described Manchester United as “a bit of a circus” after Lisandro Martínez’s public criticism of the club’s hierarchy.
Martinez questioned United’s summer transfer business and manager Jason Wilcox after Tuesday’s 2-0 win Champions League defeat a Atlético de Madrid.
The Argentina defender later claimed his comments stemmed from “anger and frustration”, but Keane believes the outburst reflects the problems facing the club at the moment.
United are winless in five games and have just one Premier League win from their opening six games of the season.
Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Keane criticized Martinez for publicly questioning the club’s leadership when his own performances have come under scrutiny.
“There will be some fans who say it’s great and some who say you’re letting the team down, especially from a player who hasn’t been at his best, when the team is struggling,” Keane said.
“I think that, as a reflection of the club, there is obviously chaos, like a bit of a circus.
“When you’re going through a difficult period like United, the problem I have with certain players saying things is that you always have to start with the man in the mirror before you start making all these comments.”
The former United captain also questioned Martinez’s position in the dressing room, suggesting the defender should focus on improving his performances.
“I don’t think it’s a big fight, because I think we have question marks over that dressing room anyway,” he added.
“I don’t think there are enough characters, enough men, but I don’t see him as a senior Manchester United player. I see him as a centre-half who makes a lot of mistakes.”
Neville warns Martinez has undermined his United teammates
Former United defender Gary Neville was equally critical of Martinez, arguing his comments could cause problems in the dressing room.
Neville compared the situation to Wayne Rooney’s contract dispute in 2010, when the striker publicly questioned United’s ambition before signing a new five-year deal.
“I have a problem with it from a player’s perspective,” Neville said.
“This is a direct attack on the players you are playing with.
“So if I were Harry Maguire or Bruno Fernandes, or any other senior player, I’d be absolutely furious with him because you’re basically saying we shouldn’t be here and we should bring in more players.”