Former Liverpool star Jamie Redknapp has criticized Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez for getting “bullied” against Nottingham Forest. Redknapp believes the center-back should have been a lot stronger while defending set pieces on Saturday, December 7.
Manchester United Suffers Second Defeat Under Ruben Amorim
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal gave Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim the first taste of Premier League defeat on Wednesday, December 4, inflicting a 2-0 loss upon them at the Emirates Stadium. Although it was a disappointing result, seeing the Gunners triumph over an out-of-sorts United did not come as a surprise.
Saturday’s defeat against Nottingham Forest, however, came as a shock to Man Utd fans. At Old Trafford, they expected Amorim to get maximum points against a team that had lost three of the last four games in the Premier League.
Just two minutes into the game, Nikola Milenkovic sent a towering header into the back of the net. Man Utd equalized through Rasmus Hojlund in the 18th minute, but Morgan Gibbs-White restored Forest’s advantage in the 47th minute. Seven minutes later, Chris Woods doubled Nottingham’s lead with another header.
Bruno Fernandes scored in the 61st minute to give Manchester United a lifeline. However, it ultimately did not work out, as Forest defended diligently to secure a 3-2 victory.
Jamie Redknapp Slams ‘Little Boy’ Lisandro Martinez
Redknapp was critical of Martinez’s defending after Manchester United’s 3-2 defeat against Nottingham Forest.
At half-time, he said (Manchester Evening News):
“He’s got to be stronger Martinez, he’s like a little boy there, he just gets bullied. It’s a towering header [referring to Milenkovic’s goal].”
Former Manchester United center-back Phil Jones agreed with Redknapp’s assessment and blamed Martinez for being too fixated on his man.
He added:
“First of all it’s a great header. You sense a bit of vulnerability from set-pieces. Martinez is too fixated on his man.
“Diogo Dalot takes a couple of steps towards the ball, maybe gets caught underneath the ball a little bit, and almost gets sucked under the ball.”
Manchester United, who have dropped to 13th place in the rankings after the defeat, will return to Premier League action with a blockbuster clash with Manchester City on December 15.
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