Manchester United stars were reportedly banned from speaking to the press following the draw at Leeds just days after Lisandro Martinez’s outburst at the board
Manchester United players were reportedly banned from speaking to the press after the draw at Leeds United on Sunday following Lisandro Martinez’s outburst at the board.
Michael Carrick’s side were held to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road just days after Martinez slammed the board for failing to sufficiently back the club in the summer transfer window after the 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Martinez has since issued a statement and apologised to director of football Jason Wilcox, but he was fined for his comments. Leading into the weekend, Carrick made clear that the situation had been dealt with and the focus was moving forward, with the Argentine named in the starting line-up.
However, United players were reportedly instructed not to speak to the press after the game.
According to The Sun, Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha explained they were “not allowed” to talk as they walked through the mixed zone at Elland Road.
Cunha clarified the situation to a Brazilian compatriot while Fernandes reportedly told reporters in the mixed zone: “I can’t speak, I’m not allowed.”
Harry Maguire was the only player who conducted post-match interviews with broadcast rights holders and MUTV.
The experienced centre-back told Sky Sports that his team-mates lacked the bravery to win the game after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s second-half goal cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s opener.
He said: “We worked on it this week. We wanted to match them up without the ball and go quite aggressive. It was a bit of a five without the ball and a bit of a four with the ball.
“Fluid in midfield. We knew we could get a lot of joy in the middle of the pitch with them only playing two in there. That’s probably the area of the game where we could’ve done more.
“We could’ve been a bit braver with the ball and taken the ball under pressure. But we’re in a circumstance where we are not as brave as we should be, and we have to get that back because to win games for Man Utd we have to have that bravery and composure.”
When asked about Martinez’s midweek comments and the aftermath, Maguire said: “There’s been a lot of noise around the club this week – as there is every week – but more so, this week. Lisandro’s come out, he’s apologised, we’ve moved on from it.”
More to follow…
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