Gary Neville says Man United do not need this Lisandro Martinez
Gary Neville argues Manchester United do not need the gung-ho, high-risk version of Lisandro Martinez that surfaced at the 2026 World Cup. After Argentina's 3-2 scare against Egypt, the ITV pundit said Martinez and Cristian Romero are the best worst centre-halves in the world — passionate fighters who concede too often for a 38-game Premier League season.
Key Takeaways
- Gary Neville blasted Martinez on ITV after Argentina scraped past Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta in the World Cup last 16.
- The Manchester United defender was beaten for Yasser Ibrahim's opener and lost sight of Mostafa Ziko for Egypt's second goal.
- Neville said United need a calmer Martinez who can keep clean sheets, not the all-out World Cup version.
- Roy Keane admitted his voice was gone after the dramatic comeback, contrasting Messi's happy tears with Ronaldo's exit.
- Argentina advance to face Switzerland or Colombia, with a potential semi-final against England if both nations progress.
What did Gary Neville say about Lisandro Martinez?
Speaking on ITV Sport after Argentina's last-16 win on Tuesday, Gary Neville delivered cutting criticism of the Manchester United centre-back and his defensive partner Cristian Romero. He called them the best worst centre-halves in the world.
"You watch them, they give goals away constantly," Neville said. "But they don't care about giving goals away because they'll score goals at the other end. They have massive personalities and they keep going."
At half-time, Neville had already dissected Egypt's opening goal, claiming Martinez switched off for a split-second while wrestling Yasser Ibrahim before stepping off him. He suggested the defender may have been thinking about stepping up for offside with the rest of the line.
What went wrong for Martinez against Egypt?
Four days after scoring in Argentina's win over Cape Verde, Martinez was in the spotlight for the wrong reasons in Atlanta. He was easily beaten in the air for Ibrahim's opener before losing sight of Ziko to put Egypt on the brink of qualification.
Romero pulled one back with 11 minutes of normal time remaining, and Argentina eventually scraped through 3-2 thanks to goals from Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez. Neville praised Fernandez's special header at the other end, but the defensive lapses did not escape scrutiny.
Fellow pundit Roy Keane was left gobsmacked by the drama, telling ITV Sport: "My voice is gone. I loved it. Yesterday we saw sad tears from Ronaldo. Today we see happy tears from Messi. This is why we love football."
Does Manchester United still need Lisandro Martinez?
According to analysis echoed across Celebrity Breaking News, Neville's verdict does not mean Martinez has no future at Old Trafford. The gung-ho approach has a time and a place, but not across a marathon 38-game Premier League campaign where you cannot win every match 3-2.
Manchester Evening News noted United saw Martinez thrive last season alongside Harry Maguire, who offers the yin to the Argentine's yang. The concern is that beyond next season, Martinez could become the experienced head in defence, with questions over whether Matthijs de Ligt will return to his pre-back-injury standard.
United need the Martinez who knows when to be calm and provide a clear head at the back to keep valuable clean sheets — the balance he managed against Cape Verde. If he finds that mix, the Reds stand to benefit.