Alonso Navigating a Precarious Path at Real Madrid Amidst Squad Endorsement.

No offensive player in Los Blancos' history had endured failing to find the net for as such a duration as Rodrygo, but at last he was released and he had a declaration to broadcast, executed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in almost a year and was beginning only his fifth match this campaign, beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the advantage against the English champions. Then he turned and charged towards the touchline to embrace Xabi Alonso, the boss under pressure for whom this could signal an even greater relief.

“This is a difficult time for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Performances aren't working out and I aimed to demonstrate people that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the advantage had been surrendered, another loss following. City had turned it around, taking 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso observed. That can happen when you’re in a “sensitive” situation, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not engineer a comeback. Endrick, on as a substitute having played a handful of minutes all season, hit the woodwork in the final seconds.

A Suspended Sentence

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo said. The question was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to retain his role. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been presented externally, and how it was felt privately. “Our performance proved that we’re behind the coach: we have performed creditably, given 100%,” Courtois added. And so the final decision was withheld, any action delayed, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A More Credible Form of Defeat

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second time in four days, perpetuating their recent run to just two victories in eight, but this seemed a little different. This was Manchester City, rather than a La Liga opponent. Streamlined, they had competed with intensity, the most obvious and most critical criticism not directed at them on this night. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a converted penalty, almost securing something at the end. There were “numerous of very good things” about this performance, the head coach said, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, tonight.

The Bernabéu's Mixed Reception

That was not always the full story. There were spells in the closing 45 minutes, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At the conclusion, a section of supporters had repeated that, although there was also pockets of appreciation. But for the most part, there was a muted flow to the subway. “We understand that, we understand it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso stated: “It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were instances when they cheered too.”

Squad Support Is Strong

“I sense the support of the players,” Alonso said. And if he stood by them, they stood by him too, at least in front of the public. There has been a rapprochement, talks: the coach had considered them, perhaps more than they had adapted to him, meeting common ground not exactly in the compromise.

Whether durable a remedy that is remains an matter of debate. One seemingly minor incident in the after-game press conference seemed significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to do things his way, Alonso had permitted that implication to remain unanswered, replying: “I have a good relationship with Pep, we understand each other well and he understands what he is talking about.”

A Basis of Fight

Above all though, he could be pleased that there was a spirit, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they defended him. Some of this may have been performative, done out of obligation or self-preservation, but in this tense environment, it was important. The intensity with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a danger of the most fundamental of expectations somehow being elevated as a form of achievement.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had argued the coach had a strategy, that their mistakes were not his fault. “I think my colleague Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The sole solution is [for] the players to improve the mindset. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have seen a change.”

Jude Bellingham, pressed if they were supporting the coach, also replied quantitatively: “100%.”

“We’re still trying to solve it in the locker room,” he said. “We understand that the [outside] noise will not be beneficial so it is about striving to sort it out in there.”

“Personally, I feel the coach has been great. I individually have a strong relationship with him,” Bellingham added. “Following the run of games where we drew a few, we had some honest conversations behind the scenes.”

“Every situation concludes in the end,” Alonso concluded, possibly referring as much about poor form as his own predicament.