“I am not tall” – Lisandro Martinez gives perfect response to Jamie Carragher’s height criticism

Manchester United kick-started their Premier League season with a 1-0 win, engineered by their resilient backline.

When Lisandro Martinez first arrived in England, having already impressed at Ajax with his ball-playing ability, many questioned if he is ready for the physicality of English football.

In particular, former Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher suggested that the 5’9″ Argentine would struggle as a central defender in England’s top tier, which is filled with some of the most physical forwards.

However, after a few hiccups, the 26-year-old established himself as one of United’s most important players, impressing fans with his aggressive style of defending.

Lisandro Martinez addresses Jamie Carragher’s criticism

The same was on the show on Friday night against Fulham, as Lisandro Martinez brilliantly handled Adama Traoré, who has made his name by outmuscling defenders on a regular basis.

Martinez delivered a solid performance, helping United to keep the clean sheet and eventually bag all three points with a late goal from Joshua Zirkzee.

He joined Carragher for a post-match interview and underlined that his height doesn’t stop him from going against this league’s attackers.

“I am not tall, but I will win. I will go with personality in every ball, every duel… I will show that I’m there in the pitch,” Martinez told Sky Sports.

Apart from Martinez, his partner, Harry Maguire was also commanding in all his actions, highlighting it is not going to be easy for Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro to take his place in the starting lineup.

As far as Ten Hag is concerned, he will certainly be delighted with confidence and form of his centre-backs on the back of a very difficult 2023/24 season, which saw United concede more league goals than they scored.