Martínez Challenges Scholes and Butt to Repeat Criticism Directly
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez publicly challenged former players Paul Scholes and nicky Butt to repeat their disparaging remarks about his physical matchup against Erling Haaland, following United’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City in the Manchester derby on January 14, 2024.
Prior to the match, Butt predicted Haaland would easily overpower Martínez, stating he would “pick Martinez up and run with him” and the contest would resemble “a dad after school running down the road with a little toddler.” Lisandro Martínez‘s performance effectively neutralized Haaland during the game.
Scholes echoed Butt’s sentiment, adding that Haaland “would score, then throw him in the net.”
After the match, Martínez responded directly to the criticism. ”Honestly, he can say whatever he wants,” martínez stated. ”I told him already, if he wants to say something to me, he can come to wherever he wants. To my house, wherever. I don’t care.”
Martínez’s strong performance and subsequent response have ignited a debate about the validity of pre-match punditry and the physical challenges faced by defenders against elite strikers like Haaland. Erling Haaland was unable to score during the match.
