Erik Ten Hag Admits Man United Needed More Fight After Signing "Butcher" Lisandro Martinez
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believes that new signing Lisandro Martinez will help toughen up his side.
United lost 12 times in their 38 Premier League games last season, including thrashings by Watford, Brighton and two by Liverpool.
New boss Ten Hag must make United harder to beat and he is sure that Martinez will help with that.
Ten Hag knows Martinez well after managing him at Ajax for the past three seasons.
Martinez followed Ten Hag to Old Trafford this week after United agreed to pay Ajax a transfer fee that could rise to £57 million, according to BBC Sport.
SEE MORE: Man Utd Agree Deal With Ajax To Make Lisandro Martinez Joint-7th Most Expensive Defender Ever
Erik ten Hag (right) and Lisandro Martinez pictured embracing after winning the Eredivisie title with Ajax in the 2021/22 season
IMAGO/ANP
Speaking to ManUtd.com after that deal was completed, Ten Hag said of the 24-year-old: "He's a warrior and I think the fans will admire him. He has an attitude, fighting spirit.
"He brings aggressiveness in the game, in a good way. I think we need that.
"But also, he's also skillful and he can deal with the ball and he's left-footed."
Ten Hag is hopeful that having a key player who is already familiar with his tactics and training methods will prove helpful for United.
"I think it's important, yeah. I think the Premier League is high intensity, lots of challenges. We need such players [with fighting spirit]," he added.
"Certain ideas, he knows them. That is an advantage, clearly.
"But also he has to adapt, to a new country, a new club, new team-mates. So also a lot of things will be different."
Martinez pictured playing for Argentina in June
IMAGO/Alterphotos
Lisandro Martinez Nickname
If Martinez's nickname is anything to go by then Premier League defenders should approach him with caution.
The Argentina international was known in Holland as "The Butcher of Amsterdam" and it is a title he embraced.
As quoted by The Mirror earlier this month, Martinez said: "Yes, I am called the carnicero – The Butcher of Amsterdam.
"We Argentines do everything with passion and when I go out on the pitch, I fight for every ball. If I have to step over dead bodies, I do it.
"I want to win every 50-50 situation because I know that I am fighting for food for every member of my family and for my friends. That is the feeling I have – and every Argentinian has. It is the kind of motivation I cannot explain."
Despite his passion for aggression, Martinez was only shown five yellow cards in 35 matches last season.