Lisandro Martinez’s public back-and-forth with Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes became an unnecessary sideshow in Man Utd’s season, and Owen Hargreaves has just chosen his side in the same.
What started as an ill-researched narrative from Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes about Lisandro Martinez’s duel with Erling Haaland soon turned petty.
The ex-players joked about his height, which was uncalled for, and were rightly called out by Martinez after he bossed Haaland (as expected).
Who are you backing in Paul Scholes and Lisandro Martinez’s war of words?
Paul Scholes and Lisandro Martinez have reignited their feud after the Manchester derby…
Instead of backing down and accepting their error, they doubled down and questioned Martinez’s mentality and “softness,” which saw him get triggered by those comments.
Owen Hargreaves on Lisandro Martinez’s mentality
If Martinez were to be criticised for something, then his mentality should be the last on that list, as every Man Utd fan would agree.
That is why it was so unexpected that his mentality became a talking point for Scholes and Butt, really highlighting the shallowness of their argument.
Still, having the fans on his side was one thing, but Martinez has now also received support from Scholes’ teammate, Owen Hargreaves.
Hargreaves interviewed Martinez for TNT, and spoke to Man Utd’s official website afterwards to sing praises about the Argentine centre-back’s mentality.
He said: “He’s had a difficult time with injury, but he’s a proper character, a proper personality. He said he remembers watching me in the Champions League final [against Chelsea] in 2008, and he wants to bring the club back to its former glory. He’s a proper personality, and United will need him.”
Hargreaves joins the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney as ex-players who actually back the current squad instead of using them as a means to prop up their own podcast.
Man Utd need to boost the media’s counter-narrative
For too long, the media space in the UK has been dominated by ex-United players, but it hasn’t benefited the club the way it should.
Should club legends protect the badge or tell the truth?🤔
Are former Manchester United players TOO HARSH on the club in the media, or are you happy for them to tell it like it is?
Does it matter? Are current United players TOO SOFT?
While pundits like Ian Wright, Micah Richards, and Jamie Carragher are staunch in their support for their clubs, almost delusionally at times, United have to deal with bitter takes from ex-players.
It’s high time that United boost this counter-narrative through personalities like Rooney, Ferdinand, and Hargreaves, and the club are already being smart about it.
From giving Ferdinand access to the pre-season tour this season, to Hargreaves getting all the TNT interviews at United, the club is starting to take steps to boost the media’s counter-narrative.
It’s easy to dismiss bitter claims as just the ramblings of legends, but they have a voice and can set the agenda, increasing pressure at a club that perennially seems to be one loss away from a crisis.
By propping up personalities like Hargreaves, as in this case, United will benefit immensely by having supportive voices in the ecosystem.
Nobody would understand this kind of “marginal gain” better than Sir Dave Brailsford!
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