Carrick brushes off Martínez’s failure to apologise publicly to United director Wilcox

Michael Carrick brushed off Lisandro Martínez’s failure to offer Jason Wilcox a public apology after the defender criticised Manchester United’s director of football in the wake of Tuesday’s defeat at Atlético Madrid.

Martínez referred directly to Wilcox after the 2-0 Champions League loss, saying: “I expect more from our technical director.”

On Thursday Martínez issued an apology that did not mention Wilcox or withdraw the essence of his outburst: the need for more squad investment. “The frustration of the defeat led me to express how I felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones, and for that I want to apologise,” he said.

Carrick was asked whether he respected Martínez for not saying sorry to Wilcox. “He’s released his statement, he’s realised he’s made a mistake and that’s enough for all of us to move on with,” United’s manager said.

Carrick was pressed on whether it would have been better if Martínez had apologised to Wilcox and for his wider comments about investment, rather than just saying sorry for the timing and location of his interview. “From our point of view, the acknowledgment of what’s been done has certainly been enough, we’ve moved on and we’re definitely not looking back at it now,” he replied.

Carrick said Martínez was available for Sunday’s trip to Leeds, where Manchester United go having taken only six points from their opening six league games. They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton last month and have one win and a defeat in the Champions League. Poor form has increased the pressure on Carrick, who was asked whether Martínez’s comments were an unwanted distraction that had annoyed him.

“No, I understand emotion at times,” he said. “We ask for passion, we ask for emotion, we ask for fire and we ask for players to care. There’s a way of doing that, and that’s already been acknowledged, but we need to carry that intensity and that willingness and that togetherness and that spirit. As a group, we need to use it, and we’ve got to use it in the right way.”

Wayne Rooney, United’s record goalscorer, claimed Martínez’s comments “will rip the dressing room apart”. It was put to Carrick that they may have an opposite, unifying effect.

“There’s a lot of things that can affect the group in all sorts of different ways,” said Carrick, who went on to highlight his players’ reaction to conceding inside a minute at Atlético. “It’s one of the toughest places to play in the Champions League, so to go a goal down so early, and the way we responded shows an underlying belief and spirit and a togetherness,” he said.

He indicated that events on and off the pitch this week had brought the squad together. “Certain situations can galvanise the group, and it’s certainly galvanised the group as this week’s progressed. The boys are in a really good place right now.”

Carrick was asked why anyone outside the club, including former players such as Rooney who have criticised Martínez, should believe there is unity. “There’s a lot of people that say a lot of things, and ex-pros or not ex-pros, it doesn’t necessarily mean you understand what’s going on here,” he said. “I’m telling you the truth. The squad today [Friday] was in a fantastic place, better than I’ve seen it for a while.”

Carrick said Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo faced fitness tests.