Lisandro Martinez has joined Cristiano Ronaldo in praising a former Manchester United star, despite the player flopping massively during his brief tenure with the Red Devils a decade ago
Lisandro Martinez believes there « aren’t many players » like Radamel Falcao anymore, despite the striker’s disappointing spell at Manchester United. The Colombian dazzled at clubs including Atletico Madrid, Porto and Monaco before arriving at Old Trafford on loan in 2014.
However, he struggled to make his mark in the Premier League. Under Louis van Gaal’s guidance, the now 39-year-old netted just four goals and provided five assists across 29 appearances for the Red Devils, despite his prolific record elsewhere.
His subsequent loan move to Chelsea the following year proved even more disappointing for the forward, scoring only once in 12 competitive matches for the Blues before returning to Ligue 1. While many supporters won’t recall Falcao with the same affection reserved for legends like Ruud van Nistelrooy or Wayne Rooney, it’s evident that fellow players hold an admiration for his achievements on the field.
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During an appearance on Davoo Xeneize’s YouTube channel, current United defender Martinez was effusive in his praise for the technical prowess of one of South America’s finest exports. He said: « Radamel Falcao had a tremendous career.
« I faced him for about 15 minutes in an Argentina-Colombia match and he was impressive, it was in 2022. He came on for 15 minutes and it was incredible how he moved on the pitch.
« I faced him at the end of his career, but I watched him a lot as a kid when he was at Atlético Madrid and Porto. Crazy. For me he was the best No. 9 in the world, a beast.
« Nowadays, there aren’t many players like that around, and that’s when you realise just how good he is. Impressive. Such a good player. »
Martinez isn’t the only United legend who has heaped praise on Falcao, with Cristiano Ronaldo also singing the striker’s praises over the years, reports the Manchester Evening News. Speaking about Falcao in 2014, Ronaldo said: « He is very good player.
« I think Manchester did very well. I don’t think he is the wrong type of player. He is a top player so I don’t think it is a wrong buy.
« I think he will be a fantastic buy. Manchester have not started well, two points, so they need quality players and Falcao is a quality player. »
Ruben Amorim, meanwhile, has splashed the cash on his attacking options this summer to ensure he doesn’t repeat the errors of his predecessor, Erik ten Hag. The United board has forked out more than £200million on a trio of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko following last season’s struggles without a reliable marksman.
He was left to rely on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee last term, who notched just seven Premier League goals between them as United endured a disastrous 15th-place campaign. But Amorim was dealt another setback at the weekend when Cunha hobbled off with a hamstring problem, with the full extent of the injury still unknown.
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