THE SURPRISING PLACE LISANDRO MARTINEZ INVITED PAUL SCHOLES TO DISCUSS HIS RECENT CRITICISM
Lisandro Martinez invites Paul Scholes for a face-to-face chat after United’s 2-0 derby win. Read the full heated exchange here.
Lisandro Martinez has thrown down the gauntlet to Manchester United legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, inviting them over to his place for a proper face-to-face chat. Those two, both former United stars, didn’t exactly hold back in their criticism of Martinez ahead of his showdown with Erling Haaland. But after keeping Haaland quiet and helping United pull off a shock win over City, Martinez couldn’t resist a little jab: “No one says anything to your face,” he pointed out.
United stunned City at Old Trafford—nobody saw that coming. Martinez, fresh off his World Cup win, gave Scholes and Butt the chance to discuss things in person after making them eat their words with his performance. United, with Michael Carrick in temporary charge, turned in their most complete display of the season, shutting down Haaland and his partners and winning 2-0 (with three more goals ruled out for offside).
Before that match, Scholes and Butt were chatting on "The Good, The Bad & The Football" podcast. Butt joked that Haaland would “pick Martinez up and run with him” because of his size. Scholes went even further, saying City’s big No. 9 would “throw” the 5 ft 9 in Martinez “in the net” while adding to his incredible goal tally in 2025-26.
Didn’t happen. Martinez isn’t the type to back down from a physical battle. He’s not too fussed by what Scholes or Butt say, even with their reputations at Old Trafford. The 28-year-old prefers to let his game do the talking.
When reporters asked Martinez about those pre-match digs, he shot back, starting with Scholes: “Honestly, he can say whatever he wants. I told him already that if he wants to say something to me, he can come wherever he wants. To my house, wherever. I don’t care.
“And for me, I respect when they want to help the club, but it’s easy to talk on TV. When you see them face-to-face, nobody says a word. So I don’t really care what they say. I just focus on my performance and the team’s performance, and I give everything for this club until my last day.”
Scholes didn’t take long to respond after those comments started making the rounds online. He posted on Instagram: “Someone’s had a good game. Was really happy for you... Tea, no sugar, please.”
This season’s been rough for United, and Martinez had to wait until November 30 to make his first appearance after recovering from a serious ACL injury. The club already parted ways with Ruben Amorim after a string of poor results. With early exits from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, United are playing fewer matches than they have since before World War I.
Still, the win over City showed real fight, and Martinez believes the team can turn things around. He talked about rebuilding trust with the fans: “It’s about the connection. It’s about how we represent them on the pitch. If they see us fighting like that, they’re with us.
“Sometimes our performance isn’t the best, but they expect a good attitude from us—tackles, that Manchester United DNA, the blood. And I get it, because sometimes even we’re asking ourselves, ‘What are we doing here?’”
United’s win over City puts them right back in the hunt for the Premier League’s top four, just a point away. Champions League football next season is a must after missing out on Europe entirely this year. They’re still in the mix, planning to bring in a new permanent manager over the summer, but the next test is a big one: a trip to the Emirates to face league leaders Arsenal. Martinez, who sometimes wears the captain’s armband, will be out to lead by example again.
INSIDE SENNE LAMMENS’ BLUEPRINT FOR MAN UNITED’S MASSIVE 2026 SUMMER TRANSFER OVERHAUL
"We want to be stronger." Read Senne Lammens' honest assessment of Manchester United’s squad needs after the Sunderland draw.
Senne Lammens isn’t hiding from the truth; he knows Manchester United have to beef up their squad this summer if they want to handle both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland showed just how thin United are right now. Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, and Manuel Ugarte all sat out with injuries, and you could feel their absence on the pitch.
It’s been a weird season for United. They played just 40 games, the fewest in over a century, because they were eliminated from Europe and both domestic cups so early. But now they’re back in the Champions League, and Lammens realises the team has to get deeper if they want to compete seriously.
“Yeah, definitely. This league’s tough, and next year’s schedule is going to be insane,” the goalkeeper said. “You want to have enough reliable players, people who can step up whenever they’re needed.”
Lammens made it clear that United must invest in new signings during the summer window. He’s not saying the squad lacks quality now, but he knows things will get tougher. “Honestly, I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” he said. “But next season’s going to ask a lot more from us, and you need to be ready for injuries and everything that can come with a busy year like today, when we missed a few regular starters. Being able to call on others to jump in really matters.”
He wants a strong, well-rounded group ready for the challenges ahead. “We’re already building towards that, but we want to be even stronger for next season.”
Some people wondered if United relaxed after they clinched their Champions League spot by beating Liverpool last weekend. Lammens brushed that idea off. He said head coach Michael Carrick was all over them, reminding everyone to finish the season on a high.
“I don’t think so, not for me at least,” Lammens said. “The manager made it clear that these last games are important. We want as many points as we can get and to finish as high as possible. How you end the season carries over. It’s your launchpad for next year. We want to keep the momentum going.”
He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “Honestly, if we’d played at Sunderland a few weeks ago before securing the Champions League, it still would’ve been tough. That wasn’t in our minds.”
Carrick echoed those thoughts after the match. He sounded almost annoyed when asked if the players were mentally on holiday already.
“I get almost offended by that,” he said. “The way the players prepared and battled out there, it’s clear they’re still focused. If we’d been off it, we’d have lost. Sunderland pushed us hard at times.”
He thinks the pride and responsibility of playing for Manchester United is all the motivation the team needs. “That’s what keeps us sharp, knowing we represent something big. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll always play brilliantly, but it’s enough to fight through tough days.”
MANCHESTER UNITED HOLD ADVANCED NEGOTIATIONS FOR RECORD-BREAKING £18M BETWAY SPONSORSHIP
Despite the upcoming front-of-shirt gambling ban, explore how Man United’s Betway deal targets training apparel at Carrington.
Manchester United are currently discussing a potential sponsorship deal with Betway, reportedly worth up to £18 million. This comes despite the Premier League having banned betting companies from featuring as main shirt sponsors starting from the 2026-27 season.
Back in 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of their shirts. From that point, no top-flight team will carry betting advertisements on their kits during matches. But this new deal would see Betway appear on United’s training gear, not their matchday shirts.
According to reports from the MEN, talks have progressed significantly. If an agreement were reached, the Betway logo would be quite visible on the training apparel worn by players at Carrington, United’s training ground. That means fans would regularly see the branding in video footage and photos taken during training sessions.
Previously, United’s training kits featured Tezos, a blockchain company, until that partnership ended in June 2025. Betway has its own history with English football; they’ve been shirt sponsors for West Ham United and maintain global gambling partnerships with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The financial terms on the table for this Betway deal would be substantially close to £18 million, putting it on a similar scale to Bayern Munich’s partnership with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights. This is quite a significant figure for a single training kit sponsor.
This season, United have gone without a sponsor on their training gear. After the Tezos contract expired, the club chose not to rush into a new agreement. They wanted to carefully evaluate potential partners, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of brand alignment.
There were even conversations with the African division of the Six Rivers Foundation, a conservation project in which United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested. However, those discussions didn’t lead to a deal.
When majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer visited Carrington earlier this year, commercial revenue and sponsorship opportunities were among the key topics addressed. The club has also brought in marketing agency Two Circles, where ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson works, to help find a new sleeve sponsor, given that the current contract with DXC ends this summer.
Securing Champions League qualification for next season under Michael Carrick’s leadership has somewhat eased the process. United guaranteed their place in Europe’s top competition after a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which should make the club more attractive to potential commercial partners.
