Lisandro Martinez was absolutely pitch-perfect during Manchester United’s 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday.
Signed from Ajax to the tune of £56.7 million this summer, Martinez has been put under the microscope by pundits and supporters alike largely due to the fact that he stands at five foot and nine inches in height.
It is, after all, a diminutive stature compared to what you’d usually expect for a centre-back, particularly in the Premier League where there is such an impetus on the physical side of the game.
However, looks can most certainly be deceiving and Martinez has really called the ‘he’s too small’ criticisms into question with his most recent performances in the famous red jersey.
Even the man himself would admit that he didn’t cover himself in glory during the Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford defeats, but even those wobbly displays are now starting to look like a result of wider circumstances around him.
That’s because Martinez has gone on to look like a man transformed since the two defenders beside him have been swapped from Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw to Raphael Varane and Tyrell Malacia.
It was an inspired move from Erik ten Hag not just in the broader context of United‘s performances, but also specifically in regards to Martinez who has duly come on leaps and bounds in the last two games.
In fact, the Argentina international very much proved that his masterclass in the Liverpool win wasn’t a one-off as he performed even better during United’s 1-0 win at St. Mary’s Stadium this weekend.
Lisandro Martinez vs. Southamptonpic.twitter.com/P5BFXFmBne
— ّ (@LSVids) August 27, 2022