Former Manchester United midfielders Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes have drawn sharp criticism from supporters after appearing to ridicule Lisandro Martinez's capabilities against Erling Haaland on their podcast.
The pair discussed United's prospects ahead of Saturday's Manchester derby on The Good, The Bad & The Football, with Manchester City travelling to Old Trafford this weekend.
Their dismissive remarks about the Argentine defender's ability to contain the prolific Norwegian striker prompted an angry response across social media platforms.
Fans accused the club legends of disrespecting a World Cup winner who has established himself as a crucial component of United's backline in recent campaigns.
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During the podcast discussion, Butt expressed reservations about United's defensive options when facing Haaland, who has netted 20 times in 21 appearances this campaign.
"Haaland would pick Martinez up and run with him. You know when you see a dad at school running down the road with a little toddler," Butt remarked.
When Scholes mentioned the prospect of Martinez facing Haaland, he visibly winced at the thought.
🗣️ "Haaland would pick (Lisandro) Martinez up and run with him"
— The Good, The Bad & The Football (@goodbadftblpod) January 15, 2026
No one's safe from Nicky Butt... 🤣 pic.twitter.com/DBV1UMNlxR
The former England international then added with laughter: "He'd score then throw him in the net."
Butt had suggested United would stand a better chance with injured defenders Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt available, expressing concern about younger players facing City's formidable striker.
Supporters swiftly countered the former players' assessment by pointing to Martinez's remarkable track record when facing the City striker.
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In six encounters between the pair, Haaland has been held scoreless in five of them.
One fan posted on X: "He (Martinez) played against Haaland in the Champions League and won 4-0 when Ajax beat Dortmund, (sic) he played against Haaland in the cup final when Utd won, Haaland didn't score then either.
"In 6 games against Martinez, he didn't score in 5 of them."
The Norwegian's sole goals against Martinez came during City's 6-3 victory in their treble-winning season.
Haaland has emerged victorious in just two of those six meetings, suffering defeat in the remaining four.
Erling Haaland has been sensational for Manchester City this term
|PA
Another supporter wrote: "This is so bad coming from the so called legends, how do you mock a player like this, and even laughing about it, it's a big shame."
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola himself has publicly lauded the Argentine's qualities, particularly following the 2024 FA Cup final when United triumphed 2-1 over their rivals.
"Lisandro Martinez is top 5 center-backs on the world," Guardiola stated after that defeat. "He made the difference on this game by playing passes through our defence."
United won that game courtesy of goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, ending a difficult campaign under old boss Erik ten Hag on a positive note.