Gary Neville has criticized Lisandro Martinez for his “wimpish” clearance during Manchester United’s 4-3 defeat to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Thursday night.
The chaotic encounter saw Tottenham progress to the semi-finals after an error-ridden performance from both teams.
Defensive lapses and goalkeeping errors proved decisive, with Martinez coming under fire for his role in Spurs’ second goal.
With United already trailing 1-0 after Dominic Solanke capitalized on a parried Pedro Porro shot, Martinez mishandled a cross into the box.
Instead of clearing it effectively, the Argentine defender flicked the ball straight to Dejan Kulusevski, who calmly slotted past Altay Bayindir to double Tottenham’s lead.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville didn’t hold back in his criticism: “I have to say the clearance from Lisandro Martinez is quite simply appalling.
To play that straight to Kulusevski… it’s a wimpish clearance. He’s been let down by two poor mistakes tonight—this is one of them.”
Neville also criticized United’s goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir, for his part in Spurs’ opener, saying:
“If your goalkeeper parries one out into the center of the box, and your center-back flicks one with the outside of his left boot, it’s unforgivable.”
Despite being 3-0 down by the 54th minute, United fought back. Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster made two costly mistakes, allowing Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo to bring the score to 3-2 with 20 minutes left.
The game remained tense until Son Heung-min scored directly from a corner in the 88th minute, with Bayindir again failing to make a save.
United’s Jonny Evans added a late third goal in stoppage time, but Tottenham held on to secure their place in the semi-finals.
The game also saw yet another setback for United, as Victor Lindelof was forced off with an injury during his fourth start of the season.
Neville sympathized with the defender, saying: “It’s demoralizing. You work so hard to get back, only to break down again. You just want to leave the pitch.”
The loss highlighted United’s ongoing struggles under Ruben Amorim, who defended his squad selections following Marcus Rashford’s continued omission.
Despite Alejandro Garnacho returning to the bench, United’s defensive and goalkeeping mishaps ultimately cost them the match.