Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez was “bullied” during the Red Devils’ 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, according to Jamie Redknapp.
The Red Devils were beaten for the sixth time in the Premier League this season as they dropped down to 13th place in the Premier League table.
Ruben Amorim has suffered similar inconsistency experienced by former Man Utd managers with the Portuguese coach drawing one, winning two and losing two of his opening matches in charge.
Nikola Milenkovic gave Nottingham Forest the lead inside two minutes as the Red Devils were undone by a set-piece again after Arsenal scored from two corners against them in midweek.
Martinez, who was missing for the Arsenal match through suspension, was tasked with marking Milenkovic but it was a mismatch as the Serbian headed in the opening goal.
Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Redknapp insisted that Martinez had been “bullied” by Milenkovic on Saturday.
Redknapp said on Sky Sports: “He has to be stronger there. He’s like a little boy there. He just gets bullied. It’s a mismatch, he is trying to block him and its a towering header.”
Ex-Man Utd centre-back Phil Jones also gave his view on the opening goal, he added: “It is a great header, a bullet of a header. But you sense vulnerability from set pieces.
“Martinez is almost too fixated on the man. He’s got the blocking job, he’s too square and is watching the man rather than the ball. Diogo Dalot takes a couple of steps towards the ball and gets caught underneath it. He almost gets sucked underneath the ball.”
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On Man Utd defending set-pieces in general under a new coach, Redknapp added: “Manchester United have changed their set piece coach. They’ve got a new guy in, that the manager’s brought in. Carlos Fernandes his name is. Another guy was doing it. But this doesn’t work for me.
“There are a couple of people in the Premier League who you don’t want to mark from set pieces: one of them is Gabriel [Magalhaes] and one has to be Chris Wood.
“[Manuel] Ugarte, he must be 5ft 10in maximum, and he’s up against Chris Wood. If that ball comes in there it’s a mismatch and it’s a goal. Nobody in this situation is taking control. There’s not one bit of confidence when I look at it.”
Jones continued: “There was a real sense of vulnerability, just watching the game, in the crowd. It was almost infectious, every time the ball went out for a corner you felt that.”
On Amorim’s start as manager, Jones said: “I think he’s got a clear identity of how he wants to play, I think he’s got a clear message of how he wants every individual player to be in possession, out of possession, that will take time.
“He’s alluded to the fact that it will take time to implement his style and the way he wants to go about things. But I do think if you’re going to concede goals like they have and set plays then they’re going to find it increasingly difficult.”
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