Man Utd star’s stern message to teammates: “It’s not showing respect for this club”

Lisandro Martinez has sent a stern message to his Manchester United teammates as The Reds enter a vital stage of the season.

United’s victory against Brentford on Wednesday evening was crucial after a disappointing defeat at St James’ Park on the weekend.

The three points lifted Erik ten Hag’s side back into the Premier League’s top four after they slipped down to fifth place following the loss to Newcastle.

“It was a massive three points for us,” Martinez told The Independent. “We want to be there, especially to qualify for the Champions League.

“I really liked the reaction of the team, the effort as well. We won the game and that was good.

“(The manager) was happy. We have to keep going but with this mentality, not like against Newcastle. I’m really happy for the team and really proud as well.

“Now we get the three points and we have to think now to Everton and we have to work a lot.”

United’s tendency to bounce back from defeats this season has been apparent. However, the way in which they have fallen to defeat away from home has been worrying.

There cannot be many complaints about tactical and quality-related deficiencies this early into Ten Hag’s project, yet United’s general standards have dropped in certain away games such as against Manchester City, Liverpool and Newcastle.

Martinez, who has been one of the team’s most consistent performers this term, believes that United’s team need to ensure they “fight” in every last game. Some have been guilty of slipping below that standard in certain games, but the defender believes that it is a non-negotiable when playing for Man United.

“Now every game is a final and you have to play with passion, you have to be ready, you have to be sharp, you have to fight for these three points,” he explained.

“If you don’t do that, I think it’s not (showing) respect for this club. You have to be always every game fighting. Fighting for the badge.”

The reaction against Brentford was positive. United dominated the game and should’ve won by more than a single goal. The Bees had only lost once since the return from the World Cup beforehand.

“We spoke, we spoke as a team,” the Argentina international added. “We know that it is not possible to play (like that), especially these kind of games.

“Like I said in the beginning, we have to fight more than the opponent, we have to play with more passion, we have to play with more energy, you know?

“In the end, we have a really good squad, so we have to have everyone ready to play.”