‘He’s not special at anything!’: Souness believes £57m Lisandro Martinez will FAIL at Man United
Graeme Souness believes Lisandro Martinez will fail at Manchester United and doesn’t think the defender is special at anything.
Martinez arrived at Old Trafford from Ajax this summer in a deal worth up to £57million and came in for criticism as United lost their opening two games of the season, shipping six goals.
As a result, defensive partner Harry Maguire was dropped and despite Martinez retaining his place alongside Raphael Varane, the vultures have been circling for the Argentine with many referring to his 5 ft 7in frame.
Lisandro Martinez has had a topsy-turvy start to life at Old Trafford after his switch from Ajax
Pundit Graeme Souness has not been impressed by Martinez’s start to the season for United
Souness believes Martinez’s height will cause further problems down the road, particularly when he faces more physical strikers.
‘I was watching the game at the weekend, they [Southampton] were putting Che Adams up against him and the goalkeeper and other members of that Southampton team were loading it down that left-hand side trying to stick it on his [Martinez] head,’ Souness told talkSPORT.
‘He’s vertically challenged and I was racking my mind to come up with anyone who’s played in the Premier League or indeed the [old] first division that size and been a success.
‘I think he will get sorely tested and be found out going forward. Against Haaland, Nunes or Mitrovic, oh deary me, it will be a mismatch.
Martinez registered his first clean sheet as a Man United player at Southampton on Saturday
Back-to-back wins for Manchester United has galvanised a side who were in the depths of despair just two weeks ago following their 4-0 mauling at Brentford.
Since the defeat in west London, a backline consisting of Martinez and Varane have conceded just once helping Erik ten Hag’s side overcome both Liverpool and Southampton.
But the former Newcastle boss is not yet sold on the 24-year-old and gave his overriding opinion on what he has seen from the Argentine since his arrival.
‘He’s not particularly special at anything,’ said Souness.
‘I would say he’s feisty and he’s aggressive. The other thing I don’t like about him is he goes to ground too readily. That’s not a good sign for a defender.
‘The clever ones stay on their feet and are reading it, they are there, they are anticipating. If you’re lunging all the time it means you’re not reading it.
‘But I come back to his size, he will get found out in the Premier League.’
