It's not always easy to change the mind of Graeme Souness - but Manchester United star Lisandro Martinez has managed to do just that this season.
On Saturday afternoon, Erik ten Hag's team go to Bournemouth for a game potentially pivotal to their Champions League hopes. Two wins from their remaining three matches will be enough for the Red Devils to stave off Liverpool and secure a top-four finish ahead of an FA Cup final date with Man City.
But they'll have to do so without the injured Lisandro Martinez. The Argentine World Cup winner followed Ten Hag to Old Trafford from Ajax last summer, for a fee of £56million. But his arrival prompted a scathing assessment from then Sky pundit Souness, who doubted his physical credentials.
"He's vertically challenged and I was racking my mind to come up with anyone who's played in the Premier League or indeed the [old] first division that size and been a success," Souness ranted to talkSPORT. "I think he will get sorely tested and be found out going forward. Against Haaland, Nunez or Mitrovic, oh deary me, it will be a mismatch."
But his brutal views on the 25-year-old have now undoubtedly softened. United have stumbled somewhat in recent weeks, suffering back-to-back defeats against Brighton and West Hame before rediscovering their form to see off Wolves last weekend. And Souness now thinks the absence of Martinez, out for the remainder of the season with a fractured metatarsal, has been crucial.
"United are the ones who have to keep their nerve in these all-important two weeks," Souness wrote in his MailOnline column. "I ascribe some of their fall-off in form to the absence of Lisandro Martinez. They’ve have won only three of their six league matches since he was injured at Sevilla.
"I thought Martinez would get found out in the Premier League because of his physique. I still believe that will be an issue for him going forward – but he is one who leads from the front for United and has a big influence on those around him."
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And referring to his initial criticisms, Souness acknowledged: "I thought Martinez would get found out in the Premier League because of his physique. I still believe that will be an issue for him going forward – but he is one who leads from the front for United and has a big influence on those around him."
Martinez has made 45 appearances in all competitions for United this season, forming a partnership with Raphael Varane. And his absence from the Vitality Stadium isn't the only headache for Ten Hag.
Star striker Marcus Rashford has recovered from a leg injury but then missed training on Friday due to illness. The Dutch manager must now choose whether or not to risk him, with his side still needing two wins from their remaining three league games to dine at Europe's top table again next season.
