Lisandro Martinez, for all the hand wringing in the aftermath, stood up and declared what many out- and inside of Manchester United have been feeling all season.
From the usual suspects, the reaction has been ridiculous, predictable and also in some ways dishonest - and we'll get to that later. Lisandro was simply stating the bleedin' obvious. The Argentine, a World Cup winner and twice finalist, openly expressing what this column had predicted before the season had even kicked off. This isn't a top drawer Manchester United squad. There are holes across every position. And the work "from the top", as Lisandro put it, showed a real lack of ambition and commitment to what is expected from a United board.
Ineos. Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos. Have failed to prove themselves up to task. Ratcliffe and his staff, having been handed the complete running of the football side of the club by the Glazers, have shown little-to-no understanding of what it takes to build a competitive, title contending team - let alone such a team that can also handle the spotlight and scrutiny that Manchester United generate.
We've stated it before, but among the most glaring examples of the slipshod way this squad has been managed is Kobbie Mainoo. It was barely six months ago and those in charge of things had written off the England midfielder and were hawking him around the Premier League and Europe. Cycle through to today, or at least last Sunday, and Mainoo is performing and behaving as United's one senior midfielder. It isn't Youri Tielemans. It's certainly not Andrey Santos. And it won't be Carlos Baleba. Against Spurs, it was Mainoo who was the key player in United's engineroom. A credit to himself, his support team and Michael Carrick, of course. But it says very little (or is that so, so much?) about the squad planning that has been going on behind-the-scenes at Carrington.
The fans can now see it. The players too. And this column has been told that Lisandro wasn't speaking out of turn on Tuesday. He was almost the nominated speaker on the night. The defender's comments having the full approval of the senior group, including captain Bruno Fernandes. And this wasn't - despite the headlines and claims from the podcast punditry - about the manager.
Indeed, Lisandro, Fernandes, Harry Maguire... the lot of 'em, they're as upset for Carrick as they are for themselves. Having rallied behind the former United midfielder last season. Having somehow managed to put that winning run together and qualify for this season's Champions League. A team that was dubbed "the worst in Manchester United history" by Carrick's predecessor, Ruben Amorim, had come together to deliver a launching pad for a new era under a new manager. The fans were excited. The players too. The club was back on the rails. It had all been teed up for Ratcliffe and Ineos to build something special. Exciting. And in keeping with United's traditions.
Yet instead, Ineos shrunk, shriveled and wallowed in the mediocre. Baleba, Tielemans, Santos and Karl Darlow... good, decent players, but this wasn't a summer market campaign to shake the Premier League. To plant your flag and declare 'we're going for it'. No pace, nor power was added. No world class quality. Nothing to excite the fans and rattle rivals. It was safe. Solid. Mediocre. And having been around the block several times, the senior players, more than anyone else, just knew what was going to happen - especially with the extra burden of a Champions League campaign to carry.
The fuse was lit before kickoff on Tuesday. With no fit senior left-back, United and Lisandro faced Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid with centre-half Ayden Heaven having to fill the void. Youthful, talented, sure. But no-one inside United would claim Heaven is a match for Luke Shaw at left-back. Yet that's what Carrick and the dressing room were having to work with thanks to Ineos' planning. And in the aftermath of a 2-0 reverse, Lisandro let rip.
“I expected more, honestly. I expected more. In general, I think last season we did everything; we created a base to build an amazing team," the Argentine snapped. “Yeah, it's annoying, disappointing, to come here and not see my team trying to get an amazing result here. It's disappointing.
"He (Carrick) does his best. But every season is different. You cannot say what you did last season.
“The teams know how you play, the teams know every detail, you know? And if you don't change, next season is a big problem. You cannot keep changing manager. What about other areas? I can't say more.”
How Lisandro's words, as has been claimed, undermined Carrick and his United teammates has this column baffled. Yet that's been the reporting. Indeed, as mentioned, Lisandro was sticking up for his manager. And in terms of his teammates, no-one was named. Lisandro, with this rant, was acting as an unofficial spokesman for the senior group. They feel let down. Promises have been broken. Expectations not met. The ex-player pundits can bang on about form and performances (and to be fair, Lisandro has been out of sorts so far this term), but this isn't a good Manchester United team. They needed improving right throughout the squad. Carrick knew this. The senior players too. Yet Ineos failed to act.
The one point this column would disagree with Lisandro is regarding the "technical director". The spotlight has shone on Jason Wilcox in the aftermath this week. But Wilcox can only work within the parameters he's given by those upstairs. For his experience and track record, Wilcox can still mature into a great Manchester United sporting director. But he needs the resources afforded to past United football chiefs to make that happen. For everything now being slung his way, it's really Ratcliffe and Ineos which deserve the scrutiny and criticism.
Which is why Lisandro's words this week have really exposed United's exes in the podcast sphere. Accused of talking out of school. Undermining the manager. Running down teammates. Lisandro has copped the lot. Roy Keane. Gary Neville. Nicky Butt. Paul Scholes. And now Wayne Rooney. They've all had their pop. It's been 'shoot the messenger' at it's best. Even Carrick has been dragged into it this week, with Butt - an ex-teammate - making claims the Geordie doesn't have the heart for the job. Just who's undermining who here?
And conspicuous from all this pile-on has been the lack of criticism of Ratcliffe. Keane's been happy to attack the players, Carrick, even his wife. Both Butt and Scholes have enjoyed taking swipes at the manager on their podcast and socials. And not a day goes by without Neville banging on about the Glazers. Yet Ratcliffe? Ineos? The people actually in charge of managing the football club? It's been crickets...
Of course, Rooney will be wary of rocking the boat with son Kai making such great strides inside the United youth system. While Neville works closely with Ratcliffe, as part of the 'Old Trafford regeneration' group. You do wonder if that lack of Ratcliffe scrutiny stretches across any ex-teammate working in Neville's podcast empire.
Which is why Lisandro had to speak out. He was almost obligated to. And it's also why the backlash from the exes has been so severe. As we say, they'll mock Carrick and his wife. They'll run down the players - particularly the foreigners like Lisandro and Fernandes. They'll betray confidences. It's nasty. Personal. And when the likes of Fernandes and Lisandro have a go back... well, they really don't like that.
Neville, Butt, et al, they'll do everything they can to generate those negative, money-spinning headlines and clicks for their podcasts. But Ratcliffe? Ineos? No, they're untouchable.
And that's at the heart of why United is in crisis today. And no-one articulated it better, certainly not from United's podcast world, than Lisandro on Tuesday night. This isn't an excuse. This is the reality of the most competitive, cut-throat competition in the game. The club hasn't just stood still, it's gone backwards. The manager and the players have been let down. Ratcliffe and Ineos have left them short and hung out to dry. Lisandro was only stating what we have all been observing since the end of last season.