Lisandro Martinez: Man Utd defender responds to Jamie Carragher’s “too small” claims

Lisandro Martinez has responded to Jamie Carragher’s claims that he was “too small” for the Premier League ahead of Manchester United’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United.

The five foot nine inches centre-back was signed by his former manager Erik ten Hag to boost his defence at the Theatre of Dreams, however, his height was something scrutinised by many.

Carragher, the former Liverpool defender, believed that Martinez’s height meant that he would not be able to work in England’s top flight as a centre-back. He said that it would only be a possible success if the Argentine played at left-back, or if United adjusted to a back-three formation.

Since that assertion, the Sky Sports pundit has been proven embarrassingly wrong as Martinez has not only helped transform the defence at Old Trafford but he’s also been one of the best defenders in the Premier League so far this season.

“I can’t control that, you know, it’s just an opinion,” said Martinez. “I understand when people say that – they show me who they are. It’s not my problem.

“In the beginning, in Argentina, it was the same. In football, it’s not normal to play as a centre-back with my height. It’s not easy as well, you know.

“I try to do my best, but you have to work very hard. You have to be very clever on the pitch, you have to be sharp in every situation because if you’re smart you can win the duels.”

And that is exactly what Martinez does. Despite his supposed disadvantage in aerial duels, he boasts a 54.9 win percentage in that field, and often, when he doesn’t win his duels, he will force a turnover with his aggressive approach.

To compare, Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly – who was touted to be one of the signings of the season for The Blues – wins 55% of his aerial duels – 0.1 per cent higher than United’s five foot nine inches defender.

Martinez will be aiming to help The Reds win their first piece of silverware since 2017 on Sunday afternoon at Wembley Stadium.