Gary Neville has taken aim at Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero after Argentina's World Cup win over Egypt, arguing that the Manchester United defender and his international partner are outstanding examples of centre-halves who can be both thrilling and alarming at the same time.
Neville's verdict was blunt. He described Romero and Martinez as the best “worst centre-halves” in the world, adding that they “give goals away constantly” but simply keep going because they are always ready to score at the other end. It was classic Neville in one sense: direct, unsparing and rooted in what he sees as the demands of elite football.
The point matters because Martinez is not being judged only on one night in the World Cup. At Old Trafford, his passion and his previous performances against Manchester City have made him a valued figure, but the argument here is that his all-action style may be more suited to knockout football than to the long grind of a 38-game Premier League season.
Why Neville thinks the pair are so hard to trust
Argentina were under pressure again on Tuesday evening, and Neville focused on the moments when Martinez and Romero looked vulnerable. His message was that their personalities and instincts make them competitive in a way that can decide tight matches, but also leave them exposed when the game opens up.
“You watch Romero and Martinez, and they're the best 'worst centre-halves' in the world,” Neville said. “They give goals away constantly. But they don't care about giving goals away because they'll score goals at the other end.”
That is the trade-off. There is no doubt about their fight. Neville also said they “have massive personalities and they keep going”, which is exactly what managers and supporters often love about them when the stakes are high. But in league football, where the same defensive choices are repeated week after week, that kind of risk can quickly become a problem.
Martinez's Cape Verde display shows both sides of the argument
The contrast with Argentina's earlier match against Cape Verde, four days before the Egypt game, helps explain why this debate is so interesting. Martinez was praised for his strong performance in that scare as Argentina fought their way through to the World Cup round of 16.
Against Egypt, though, Neville saw a defender whose commitment to attack and recover came with clear defensive flaws. “They're fighting for their lives and Romero is part of that comeback, you know what I mean?” he said. “Why is Martinez scoring in the last game? Why is Romero scoring there?”
That is the essence of the discussion around Martinez. In one setting, his energy and aggression can be a major weapon. In another, those same instincts can leave his side unbalanced. It is why he can look like exactly the sort of player a team needs in a one-off match, while still raising questions about whether he can be trusted across a full Premier League campaign.
What it means for Manchester United
For Manchester United, this is not a simple criticism of a player who lacks quality. It is more a question of whether his strengths and weaknesses are magnified by the demands around him. Martinez brings passion, personality and the kind of edge that supporters often respond to immediately.
At the same time, Neville's comments underline why centre-back selection is never just about intensity. It is about reliability, control and the ability to reduce chaos before it starts. That is why the debate around Martinez and Romero goes beyond Argentina and reaches back to Manchester United, where every defensive decision is judged against the standard of the Premier League.
The next stage of the World Cup will tell us whether Argentina can keep leaning on that aggressive style. The longer view, though, is already clear: Martinez may be brilliant in bursts, but Neville's warning is that a full season does not always forgive the kind of risks that knockout football can hide.
