The crux of United's current transfer paralysis stems from years of chronic overspending without consistent Champions League football. Carragher pointed out that the squad has continually underachieved across multiple managerial eras, leaving current funds tied up in past debts rather than fresh arrivals.
"Now we're seeing the real Manchester United this season," Carragher continued. "The reason why they didn't buy players in the summer is because the last four or five years since Martinez has been there, I think they've been in the Champions League once - this season (sic).
"So if every season you don't get Champions League money and every season Manchester United are spending £200million in the transfer market, sooner or later it has to stop because the money's not there.
"So this summer, the money Manchester United are paying out, it's for players they bought years ago, the next instalment of it. That's why there isn't that money there, you can't just keep going with it. Because there's a squad of players with different managers, they haven't achieved anything. They've been awful, awful again tonight."
Carragher concluded by turning the spotlight onto Martinez's own form, saying: "And him as well when he's talking about the start of this season - I think he's a good player, by the way, he's a World Cup winner, I get that - he's had an awful start to the season. Awful, really poor. People will lap it up, Manchester United fans will, that doesn't nobody any good at all... This will just be the talk of the town now. This will blow up, explode and I think he's out of order."