Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez insists that our job is not yet done in this season’s Carabao Cup, ahead of Sunday’s final.
The Reds will meet Newcastle United at Wembley tomorrow (KO 16:30 GMT), looking to earn the right to lift our first piece of silverware of the season.
A winning performance would deliver the inaugural trophy of Erik ten Hag’s reign, and would also be a first success in red for Martinez, who followed his former Ajax boss from Amsterdam to Manchester in the summer.
Our no.6 has spoken of both his determination to get a trophy under his belt with United and the team’s collective desire to reward our progression over recent months, come Sunday afternoon.
“It’s my first cup final [with United], it’s not done yet for sure, but we will prepare for the game, we are ready for this game, to fight, and it would be fantastic to get this trophy.”
“It means a lot for sure [to reach the Carabao Cup final],”Martinez told club media, ahead of the Wembley showdown with Newcastle.
“It’s my first cup final [with United], it’s not done yet for sure, but we will prepare for the game, we are ready for this game, to fight, and it would be fantastic to get this trophy.”
Sunday’s match will be United’s first cup final since the 2020/21 season, and first domestic finale since the 2018 FA Cup.
Despite that, Martinez says he had no doubts that the club being in cup finals would come around again swiftly, having got a flavour for the mindset within the team after he arrived in the summer.
Despite that, Martinez says he had no doubts that the club being in cup finals would come around again swiftly, having got a flavour for the mindset within the team after he arrived in the summer.
“That’s why we work hard, we try hard. When you do the right things, these finals come, you know?“ he added.
“The mood is amazing here, everybody is positive, we have a lot of motivation as well. We are hungry, we want to win and that’s the mentality of the team.”
This weekend’s outing may be the World Cup winner's first taste of a Wembley final with United, but he has previous experience of the stadium, having been a part of the successful Argentina squad that triumphed there against Italy last year, to lift the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions.
The fan favourite therefore has an understanding of the surroundings and is now hoping to help create a day to remember there with the Reds and our supporters.
The fan favourite therefore has an understanding of the surroundings and is now hoping to help create a day to remember there with the Reds and our supporters.
“I’ve been there and I know the stadium very well. It’s an amazing stadium with good energy and it’s up to us. We have to be ready for that and in every detail,”he said.
“The motivation is really high, you know? This club demands to win trophies, so the minimum is to win every final.
“We’re looking forward [to it] for sure. Like I said, every game is really important, and we need that support from our fans.”