Xabi Alonso Treading a Precarious Path at Real Madrid Amidst Squad Endorsement.

No forward in the club's annals had endured failing to find the net for as extended a period as Rodrygo, but finally he was released and he had a message to broadcast, performed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in nine months and was commencing only his fifth appearance this campaign, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the opening goal against the English champions. Then he spun and charged towards the sideline to greet Xabi Alonso, the coach in the spotlight for whom this could represent an profound liberation.

“This is a difficult moment for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Performances aren't working out and I wanted to prove everyone that we are together with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the lead had been surrendered, a defeat taking its place. City had reversed the score, taking 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso noted. That can transpire when you’re in a “sensitive” situation, he continued, but at least Madrid had reacted. This time, they could not complete a recovery. Endrick, introduced off the bench having played very little all season, rattled the bar in the final seconds.

A Delayed Judgment

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo said. The dilemma was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to keep 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 framed publicly, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “We demonstrated that we’re behind the manager: we have performed creditably, provided 100%,” Courtois added. And so judgment was reserved, consequences delayed, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Different Form of Setback

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second match in four days, extending their recent run to two wins in eight, but this was a somewhat distinct. This was Manchester City, as opposed to a domestic opponent. Simplified, they had actually run, the simplest and most critical criticism not directed at them in this instance. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a spot-kick, almost salvaging something at the death. There were “a lot of very good things” about this performance, the manager said, and there could be “no blame” of his players, on this occasion.

The Stadium's Muted Reception

That was not completely the case. There were moments in the latter period, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the final whistle, some of supporters had repeated that, although there was likewise some applause. But mostly, there was a muted stream to the exits. “That’s normal, we understand it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso added: “It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were times when they clapped too.”

Squad Backing Is Strong

“I feel the backing of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he stood by them, they backed him too, at least in front of the cameras. There has been a unification, discussions: the coach had listened to them, arguably more than they had embraced him, meeting a point not precisely in the center.

How lasting a fix that is is still an open question. One little incident in the after-game press conference seemed notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to do things his way, Alonso had allowed that implication to remain unanswered, answering: “I have a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he understands what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Reaction

Most importantly though, he could be pleased that there was a resistance, a response. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they stood up for him. This support may have been performative, done out of professionalism or mutual survival, but in this context, it was meaningful. The commitment with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a danger of the most basic of expectations somehow being elevated as a type of achievement.

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

Jude Bellingham, pressed if they were with the coach, also replied in numbers: “100%.”

“We are continuing striving to figure it out in the dressing room,” he elaborated. “We understand that the [outside] noise will not be helpful so it is about striving to resolve it in there.”

“I think the coach has been excellent. I myself have a great rapport with him,” Bellingham added. “After the run of games where we tied a few, we had some very productive conversations among ourselves.”

“Everything passes in the end,” Alonso concluded, possibly speaking as much about poor form as his own predicament.