In a recent back-and-forth, Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez engaged in a light-hearted exchange with club legends Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes on ‘The Good, The Bad, The Football’ podcast. While the duo playfully teased Martinez prior to the Manchester derby, they later commended his solid performance in the 2-0 victory against Manchester City at Old Trafford, though they questioned his decision to react to their remarks.
“Fair play to him,” Butt acknowledged. “He went toe-to-toe with one of the best strikers in the world. We have to applaud that—fantastic job on his part.”
However, Butt added, “When someone gets overly upset by comments made on a podcast or in the media, reacting by saying, ‘they can say what they want’ and ‘come to my house’—that’s a bit immature. If you’re so emotionally invested and react like that, maybe you shouldn’t be at a club of this stature.”
Before the match, Butt and Scholes humorously suggested to host Paddy McGuiness that Haaland would easily overpower the 5 ft 7 in Martinez on the pitch. After the game, Martinez countered their teasing by stating, “Everyone can talk on TV, but when you see them in person, no one says anything.”
This exchange highlights the complex dynamics between the current Manchester United squad and the esteemed ‘Class of 92’—comprising Ryan Giggs, Scholes, David Beckham, Butt, and the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil—who collectively made over 3,400 appearances for the club and were integral in Sir Alex Ferguson’s historic Treble-winning team in 1999.
Following David Moyes’ departure in 2014, Giggs took the helm as interim manager for a brief period and has since held various coaching positions alongside Butt, Scholes, and Phil Neville, who all worked under him.
Butt, who served as United’s head of academy from 2016 until 2021, has consistently expressed his passion for youth development at the club. On December 15, despite United playing Bournemouth that evening, he volunteered to coach underprivileged children through Sir Bobby Charlton’s Foundation.
His commitment to youth programs is strong, especially after previously voicing concerns about comments from a club official suggesting youth development was broader than just winning. Recently, he indicated that United threatened to revoke his season tickets.
Three days before Butt’s coaching event, Gary Neville was present at Old Trafford as United announced its collaboration with UA92 University, established by the Class of 92 in 2019. The bond remains despite past tensions regarding the hotel they co-own, which United once tried to prevent from being built but now occasionally utilizes.
Neville frequently shares his opinions as a commentator and on his popular podcast, and even during his dismissal, former United manager Ruben Amorim suggested that Neville garnered too much attention from club hierarchy.
While some may question the Class of 92’s relationship with United, Neville commented, “That’s a theory. A few years ago, there may have been concerns, but things have improved. We’re all keen for the club to thrive and feel disappointed when they lose.”
United’s chief operating officer, Collette Roche, echoed similar sentiments, stating, “Many former players are in the media and will naturally have opinions about the team, which is perfectly acceptable. The Class of 92 is part of our family, and our connection to UA92 goes beyond mere headlines or podcasts.”
This perspective aligns with what Scholes and Butt advocate: players should disregard media banter. Yet, as evidenced by Martinez’s reaction, that is not always the case. Scholes revealed, “We exchanged messages on Instagram some time ago because he was unhappy with something I said. He told me he lost all respect for me. I provided him my phone number, but I never heard back.”