Manchester United legend Paul Scholes and former midfielder Nicky Butt have doubled down on their criticism of Lisandro Martinez, with Butt telling the Argentine defender to “grow up” following his emotional response to comments made ahead of the Manchester derby.
Martinez was central to United’s impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester City at Old Trafford, producing a commanding display against Erling Haaland.
However, the post-match narrative quickly shifted off the pitch after Martinez reacted to remarks from Scholes and Butt, who had joked about his height in comparison to the City striker, suggesting Haaland could “pick him up and run with him.”
In response, Martinez challenged Scholes to speak to him face-to-face, escalating what began as light-hearted punditry into a public exchange.
Scholes later revealed he had previously messaged the defender and even shared his phone number, but said there had been no follow-up.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Butt addressed Martinez directly, dismissing the defender’s reaction and insisting the original comments were never personal.
“It’s tongue-in-cheek, it’s obvious Haaland isn’t actually going to pick him up and run with him, it’s a figure of speech,” he said.
“I think when someone gets so upset about something in the media or a podcast…to come out and say, ‘Come over to my house’, f****** grow up.
“Literally, if you’re going to get so emotional about someone saying something about you, you shouldn’t be at a big football club because you’ll get that for the rest of your career at Man United.
“I got so much crap when I played at United and Newcastle, but the next week you get plaudits and clapped at. There’s no personal issue with us and Martinez, none.”
While the exchange intensified, Scholes was keen to credit Martinez for his derby performance, even suggesting the criticism may have played a part in motivating the defender.
Still, the former England midfielder stopped short of changing his long-term assessment.
“It fuels people,” he said of criticism. “I think we have to take a bit of the credit for Martinez’s performance on Saturday!
“He’s had one brilliant game, but when you start talking and shouting your mouth off, this game has a habit of coming and biting you back on the a***.
“I haven’t changed my opinion yet. I’m still not sure you can win a league with him. He’s got to do it over a period of time. What he did on Saturday, brilliant, but you’ve got to do it over a period of time.”
Butt went further, suggesting Martinez’s response raised concerns about his mentality, especially given the scrutiny that comes with playing for a club of United’s stature.
Drawing on his own experiences as part of the famed ‘Class of 92’, Butt recalled how criticism shaped his development as a young player.
“I was 18, not 26 or 27,” he said. “I didn’t want to go out of the house for weeks, but you man up and go and prove people wrong.”
As the dust settles from United’s derby triumph, the debate surrounding Martinez shows no sign of slowing down.
On the pitch, his performance earned praise; off it, the war of words with club legends highlights the relentless pressure that comes with wearing the red shirt at Old Trafford.
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