Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has been told to “f***ing grow up” by Old Trafford greats Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt after his scathing response to their criticism.
Martinez challenged Scholes to come to his house to speak to him after the former England midfielder and his ex-United team-mate Butt had mocked the Argentine’s height.
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Scholes and Butt made fun of the diminutive centre-back’s chances of winning his duels with towering Manchester City striker Erling Haaland during Sunday’s (AEDT) derby.
The pair had joked that Haaland would pick up Martinez and “run with him”.
But Martinez had the last laugh with a commanding display in United’s 2-0 win, followed by his stinging response to the criticism from Scholes and Butt.
The former United duo address Martinez’s comments in the latest episode of their podcast The Good, The Bad and The Football on Monday.
Scholes praised Martinez’s performance but said he still has some doubts about the 28-year-old.
“It fuels people,” he said of criticism.
“I think we have to take a bit of the credit for Martinez’s performance on Saturday.
“He’s had one brilliant game, but when you start talking and shouting your mouth off, this game has a habit of coming and biting you back.
“I haven’t changed my opinion yet. I’m still not sure you can win a league with him. He’s got to do it over a period of time. What he did on Saturday, brilliant, but you’ve got to do it over a period of time.”
Scholes claimed he had exchanged messages with Martinez on social media and given the player his phone number but had “not heard anything”.
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And Butt said Martinez’s reaction to their comments raised questions about his mentality.
“It’s tongue-in-cheek, it’s obvious Haaland isn’t actually going to pick him up and run with him, it’s a figure of speech,” he said.
“I think when someone gets so upset about something in the media or a podcast… to come out and say, ‘They can say what they want’ and ‘Come to my house’ and all that. F***ing grow up.
“If you’re going to get so emotional about someone saying something about you and come out and react like that you shouldn’t be at a big football club.
“There’s no personal issue with us with Martínez. I just feel it’s really sad that someone gets so upset about something like that. Knock on my house? I’m 50 years of age. I’m not going knocking on someone’s house saying, ‘Can we have a chat?’ It’s just ridiculous. If you’re going to get that precious you better be s*** hot every week.”
The United greats did, however, meet some opposition in the form of another club legend, Rio Ferdinand.
Ferdinand took the side of Martinez, saying that some of the criticism started getting personal.
“This week I think there has been some stuff that has probably been just over borderline, personal,” he said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“I have spoken to Martinez a few times, online and in person, and he is someone who just wants to do well, win, get back to the standards Man United were at. He is eager to see that that looks like.
“He is within his rights, if something gets on his nerves… he has come out and said it.”