Lisandro Martinez isn't the only Man United defender owed apology after awful pundit predictions

Manchester United were heavily criticised for signing Lisandro Martinez from Ajax in July for a fee of £46.8million, rising to £55.3m. It was claimed, by many, that the centre-back was not tall enough for the Premier League.

It hasn't taken the Argentine long to prove those doubters wrong, though. After two months at the club, the centre-back has established a relationship with Raphael Varane in the centre of the defence - a partnership that has helped guide Erik ten Hag's side to four successive victories in the Premier League with wins over Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester and Arsenal.

While Martinez faced scrutiny for a matter of weeks, Varane has been criticised and mocked since his arrival from Real Madrid last year, despite the Frenchman boasting a trophy haul that the majority of players could only dream of achieving.

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Last season, Varane recorded 29 appearances in all competitions for United, grabbing a goal and an assist along the way. He missed 17 matches through injury and illness, and many pundits were quick to jump on him for his move to Old Trafford. The defender, like many of his teammates last season, performed well below the level required at United, but the scrutiny he came under was extremely questionable.

In February, former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood urged interim manager Ralf Rangnick to drop Varane - insisting that the Frenchman had been 'terrible' since joining the Reds. He told Sky Sports: "It’s about the best partnership with centre-backs. Harry Maguire is better with Victor Lindelof. If we talk about Raphael Varane, he’s got off the hook because he’s been terrible. He’s been terrible since coming to the