The latest on the unrest at Manchester United can be found in the Insider Notebook. Ed Woodward's United regret.
Benzema shirt in demand at Alcoyano, Woodward's Kane disappointment, Ruthless Conte plans major Spurs clear-out, and Red card romance.
Man United's stars are fighting with Rangnick.
According to sources, the dressing room unrest at Manchester United could derail their bid to finish in the top four.
Speaking after the loss to Wolves on Monday night, which was the first loss as interim manager at Old United, the team had not felt "together" on the pitch, while also questioning their motivation and intensity.
Man United's identity struggle is being discussed.
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According to sources, Shaw's interview did not come as a huge surprise and there are concerns that if the issues are not fixed, United's hopes of securing a place in the top flight will fade quickly.
A number of players have said they want to leave after a month in his post. Sources said that fringe players who became frustrated at a lack of game time believed they were getting a clean slate under the new boss but still felt under-used.
To make matters worse, players who want to leave in January are likely to be kept until the end of the season. Anthony Martial is confident of securing a transfer during the window.
Concerns about the suitability of the 4-2-2-2 system are among those who have been picked. Some players think individual video sessions have led to disorganized displays because they don't know where their teammates are supposed to be.
While he tries to get his ideas across, the lack of time together on the training pitch has been less than ideal.
The United were forced to close their training base in December due to an outbreak of COVID-19, but there is hope that a clean bill of health and a less busy schedule in January will help the situation.
Sources say that Mike Phelan has been brought in to fix the dressing room. Sources have told ESPN that the departure of Michael Carrick, who quit the club in the wake of Rangnick's appointment, is still being felt within the squad, leading to a lack of trust between players and management.
Manchester United's fortunes are in the hands of a man.
Woodward's big regret.
Ed Woodward will leave his post as executive vice-chairman at Manchester United later this month, and according to a report on the internet, one of his biggest regrets is not being able to take Harry Kane to Old Trafford.
Kane has always been seen as a prime target for United, as he is the outstanding English centre-forward of his generation.
Why United failed under Woodward.
Sources said that United was frustrated by the fact that Daniel Levy had always been one step ahead of interested clubs and that the England captain was given contract extensions at crucial stages to avoid him entering the final two years of his agreements with the club.
Kane signed a six-year contract with Spurs in order to prevent them from selling him to Manchester City, who tried and failed to sign him last summer.
Kane's future at Spurs remains a subject of intense speculation, especially with the 28-year-old about to enter the final two years of his contract and therefore able to exploit the diminishing length of his deal to his advantage.
Sources said that United have a number of areas to address in their squad, but the age profile of their attacking options means they will be active if a top-class centre-forward becomes available.
Play.
Gab and Juls debated if Harry Kane would have been a good signing for Man United.
Benzema shirt was a hit.
Real Madrid made sure lower league opponent Alcoyano didn't leave empty-handed after their round-of-32 tie this week, despite the fact that players are discouraged from changing shirts after games in Spain's Copa del Rey.
The Spanish giants contacted the third tier of Spanish football team, asking which Madrid player's shirt each member of their squad would like to receive as a souvenir.
The majority of the players from the Alcoyano team asked to be given one of Benzema's jerseys. All of them got what they wanted, with no need for arguments or drawing of lots to decide who would get Benzema's shirt.
It's the second year in a row that Madrid have offered to host Madrid in the cup at the same stage, repeating the gesture from a year ago. The hosts pulled off a giant-killing upset, beating the Spanish champion 2-1 after extra time on January 20, 2021.
Luka Modric and then-captain Sergio Ramos were both in Benzema's shirt last year.
The France forward missed the game with a knock, as did Modric. Their absence didn't stop Madrid from avoiding another slip-up, as they recorded a hard-fought 3-1 win thanks to goals from Eder Militao, Marco Asensio and Isco.
Benzema's shirt was in high demand at the club.
The Spurs will get a major shake-up.
According to sources, more than half a dozen players at Spurs are at risk of being sold as Antonio Conte plans a ruthless overhaul of the squad.
In the aftermath of Wednesday's Carabao Cup semifinal, first leg defeat at Chelsea, the Italian gave a damning assessment of the group, claiming that they are a team in the middle and nowhere near ready to compete at the top end of the league.
According to sources, the view has been replicated in private meetings that have been held with senior figures at the club in mapping out how to remake his squad.
Dele Alli, Steven Bergwijn, Matt Doherty, and Tanguy Ndombele are some of the players that are willing to be part of the deal. There is some uncertainty over some people.
The process will begin this month if possible but senior figures at the club recognise the difficulty of doing significant business in mid-season.
Sources claim that this is one of the reasons why the public calls for time and patience as he looks to turn Spurs into title challengers.
Potential signings are an issue. According to sources, the centre-back, wing-back, aMidfielder and a back-up strikers for Harry Kane are some of the positions that Antonio Conte wants to strengthen. The club will not rush into compromises this month.
Play.
After the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinals, Julien Laurens spoke.
Red card romance in the Netherlands.
When Jeff Harveld received a red card, he was not angry at the officials, but at the referee.
On social media, Harveld said he has started a relationship with the fourth official from a match who sent him off.
FC Emmen lost to FC Eindhoven in their Dutch second tier match by a score of 0-1, with Harveld sent off in the final minute.
It became a life-changing day for Hardveld as he was introduced to Shukrula.
On New Year's Day, Hardveld posted a series of pictures with Shukrula in Rome along with the caption: "It's official."
Dick van Egmond, the head of Dutch referees, told reporters that they were aware of their relationship. There is no problem for us.
Van Egmond said that Shona Shukrula will not be assigned to matches where Jeff Hardveld will be playing.
After starting his career at the youth ranks of Feyenoord, Hardeveld moved to Emmen in the summer of 2021. He has played in tournaments for the Netherlands. Andrew Cesare Richardson said that Shukrula has been a referee for a while.
