Xabi Alonso Navigating a Precarious Tightrope at Real Madrid Despite Player Support.

No attacker in the club's record books had experienced scoreless for as such a duration as Rodrygo, but finally he was freed and he had a statement to send, performed for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in almost a year and was starting only his fifth match this campaign, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the opening goal against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he spun and sprinted towards the sideline to hug Xabi Alonso, the coach in the spotlight for whom this could signal an profound liberation.

“This is a difficult time for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Results aren’t coming off and I sought to prove everyone that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the lead had been taken from them, another loss ensuing. City had turned it around, taking 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso remarked. That can occur when you’re in a “sensitive” state, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not complete a comeback. Endrick, brought on having played 11 minutes all season, hit the bar in the final seconds.

A Suspended Sentence

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo conceded. The dilemma was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to retain his position. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was perceived internally. “Our performance proved that we’re behind the manager: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the axe was withheld, sentencing delayed, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A More Credible Form of Loss

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second match in four days, perpetuating their poor form to two wins in eight, but this seemed a somewhat distinct. This was a European powerhouse, not a domestic opponent. Simplified, they had shown fight, the easiest and most harsh charge not directed at them in this instance. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a penalty, almost salvaging something at the end. There were “a lot of very good things” about this display, the boss stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, on this occasion.

The Fans' Muted Response

That was not entirely the complete picture. There were periods in the closing 45 minutes, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At the conclusion, a portion of supporters had repeated that, although there was likewise pockets of appreciation. But for the most part, there was a quiet stream to the exits. “It's to be expected, we accept it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso added: “It’s nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were moments when they cheered too.”

Player Unity Is Evident

“I have the backing of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he backed them, they backed him too, at least for the media. There has been a rapprochement, discussions: the coach had considered them, maybe more than they had adapted to him, finding somewhere not exactly in the compromise.

Whether durable a fix that is continues to be an unresolved issue. One small moment in the after-game press conference seemed notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that implication to hang there, responding: “I have a good relationship with Pep, we know each other well and he understands what he is implying.”

A Foundation of Resistance

Crucially though, he could be pleased that there was a fight, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not abandoned their coach during the game and after it they defended him. Part of it may have been performative, done out of obligation or self-preservation, but in this climate, it was important. The commitment with which they played had been too – even if there is a danger of the most elementary of standards somehow being elevated as a type of success.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a plan, that their mistakes were not his fault. “In my view my colleague Aurélien put it perfectly in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The only way is [for] the players to alter the attitude. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have seen a change.”

Jude Bellingham, questioned if they were supporting the coach, also responded in numbers: “100%.”

“We’re still attempting to work it out in the dressing room,” he continued. “It's clear that the [outside] chatter will not be productive so it is about striving to sort it out in there.”

“I think the gaffer has been great. I myself have a strong connection with him,” Bellingham added. “After the spell of games where we drew a few, we had some honest conversations among ourselves.”

“Every situation ends in the end,” Alonso philosophized, possibly speaking as much about a difficult spell as everything.