Martinez isn't having a great season. (Image: 2024 Manchester United)
Lisandro Martinez raised his hands in disbelief and slapped the net. Andre Onana stood motionless. The blame for Nottingham Forest's decisive goal on Saturday was shared between the pair but it felt like Martinez was more at fault than his goalkeeper, who had already made a blunder.
Manchester United defended terribly against Nottingham Forest and Martinez passively allowing the ball to slip past him and into the side netting was a huge mistake.
Matthijs de Ligt and Andre Onana could probably have done more to stop Chris Wood's looping header at the source but Martinez's misjudgement was bizarre and indicative of his current form.
Martinez hasn't looked the same player this season. He's certainly not the only member of the dressing room who is guilty of underperforming but his drop-off has been noticeable.
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Sometimes fans don't want to accept one of their favourite players is struggling but there seems to be growing concern around Martinez's form and performances this term.
Martinez was outstanding in his first season. He made a mockery of pundits' comments about his height, he became an immediate fan favourite and his defending, along with his ability to pass through the lines to initiate attacks, was a huge asset in a memorable campaign.
The problem is that season ended 18 months ago and players are judged on current levels. Rashness has crept into Martinez's game - he has increasingly jumped into tackles and mistimed challenges - and his distribution from the back has worsened, which has impacted build-up play.
The data confirms what everybody has been watching. When comparing this season to 2022/23, Martinez averages two fewer long passes attempted per 90 minutes and averages more sideways and backwards passes, which shows he's not being as brave when in possession of the ball.
Put simply, Martinez's passing isn't as good. The 26-year-old is also not as adventurous and when you combine that with some of his defending, it paints a picture of an out-of-form player.
Martinez has struggled with a few injuries in the last year-and-a-half and he has failed to reach the levels he showed before picking up a metatarsal injury in the spring of 2023.
The best version of Martinez probably hasn't been seen since he picked up that foot issue against Sevilla in the Europa League. There have still been some strong performances from Martinez along the way, but he set a high benchmark in his first year and will be judged against that.
United are 13th in the Premier League and are collectively underperforming. There are issues for Ruben Amorim to address but he needs his most talented players to get back to their best.
Martinez is one of the finest defenders in the league when he's at his best and hopefully he can get back to his previous levels ahead of a challenging, busy winter schedule.
United are set to play Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal in the next month and it would make Amorim's life a lot easier if Martinez can start to perform again.
Although Martinez is still adored by supporters, you can't live off the success of one season and he needs to remind critics why fans created a banner for him after just a few months.
'The Butcher' needs to sharpen his blade and get back to his best sooner rather than later.