Xabi Alonso Treading a Thin Path at Madrid Despite Squad Endorsement.

No offensive player in Los Blancos' annals had endured scoreless for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was released and he had a statement to broadcast, performed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had not scored in an extended drought and was beginning only his fifth appearance this season, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the opening goal against Manchester City. Then he turned and ran towards the bench to greet Xabi Alonso, the manager on the edge for whom this could prove an profound liberation.

“This is a difficult period for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Performances aren't working out and I aimed to show people that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the lead had been surrendered, another loss taking its place. City had come back, taking 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso observed. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” situation, he added, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not complete a turnaround. Endrick, introduced off the bench having played very little all season, struck the woodwork in the dying moments.

A Reserved Verdict

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo conceded. The question was whether it would be enough for Alonso to hold onto his position. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remarked, but that was how it had been presented externally, and how it was felt privately. “Our performance proved that we’re supporting the coach: we have performed creditably, offered 100%,” Courtois added. And so the axe was withheld, sentencing pending, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Different Form of Setback

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second match in four days, continuing their uninspiring streak to just two victories in eight, but this seemed a little different. This was Manchester City, as opposed to a La Liga opponent. Simplified, they had shown fight, the easiest and most harsh charge not directed at them this time. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a penalty, coming close to securing something at the end. There were “a lot of very good things” about this performance, the manager said, and there could be “no blame” of his players, tonight.

The Stadium's Muted Reaction

That was not always the full story. There were spells in the closing 45 minutes, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the conclusion, a portion of supporters had repeated that, although there was also pockets of appreciation. But mostly, there was a subdued stream to the doors. “We understand that, we accept it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso remarked: “It’s nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were instances when they cheered too.”

Dressing Room Unity Stands Strong

“I sense the support of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he supported them, they stood by him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a coming together, talks: the coach had accommodated them, arguably more than they had accommodated him, reaching somewhere not exactly in the compromise.

The longevity of a remedy that is continues to be an open question. One small incident in the post-match press conference appeared telling. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to follow his own path, Alonso had permitted that idea to linger, answering: “I share a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he is aware of what he is implying.”

A Basis of Fight

Crucially though, he could be satisfied that there was a fight, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they stood up for him. Some of this may have been theatrical, done out of professionalism or self-interest, but in this context, it was significant. The commitment with which they played had been as well – even if there is a danger of the most basic of requirements somehow being promoted as a type of achievement.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had argued the coach had a vision, that their failings were not his fault. “In my view my teammate Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The sole solution is [for] the players to alter the attitude. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have observed a difference.”

Jude Bellingham, pressed if they were behind the coach, also replied with a figure: “100%.”

“We are continuing trying to figure it out in the dressing room,” he elaborated. “It's clear that the [outside] noise will not be helpful so it is about attempting to fix it in there.”

“Personally, I feel the coach has been great. I myself have a great connection with him,” Bellingham concluded. “After the sequence of games where we were held a few, we had some honest conversations internally.”

“Everything ends in the end,” Alonso mused, maybe speaking as much about poor form as everything.