Manchester United legends Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes have responded sharply to Lisandro Martínez after the defender took issue with their pre-derby criticism, telling the Argentine international to “grow up” and accept scrutiny that comes with playing for the club, MySportDab Reports.
The debate followed United’s recent derby victory over Manchester City, where Martínez delivered a strong defensive display against Erling Haaland.
Ahead of the match, Butt and Scholes had questioned whether Martínez could physically cope with the City striker, with comments suggesting Haaland would overpower him.
Martínez later reacted defiantly, claiming neither former midfielder would repeat those remarks to his face.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Butt dismissed Martínez’s response as overly emotional, insisting the comments were made in a light-hearted, conversational manner.
“For me, it’s like lads talking in a pub,” Butt said. “When someone reacts by saying ‘come to my house’, it’s time to grow up. If you can’t handle criticism, you shouldn’t be at a club like Manchester United.”
Butt added that criticism is inevitable at Old Trafford, stressing that former players endured similar treatment during their careers. “You get stick one week, applause the next. That’s football at this level,” he said.
Scholes echoed those sentiments, conceding that the initial comments could have been phrased better but maintaining that criticism is part of the job.
He also revealed a previous private exchange with Martínez, stating the defender had once messaged him on Instagram expressing disappointment over earlier remarks.
“You’re playing for arguably the biggest club in the world,” Scholes said. “At some point, you have to deal with criticism. We all did.”
Despite the back-and-forth, both former players acknowledged Martínez’s strong performance in the derby, underlining that debate and pressure are inseparable from life at Manchester United.
