🔗 Share this article Xabi Alonso Navigating a Thin Tightrope at the Bernabéu Despite Player Backing. No attacker in Los Blancos' history had endured scoreless for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was released and he had a message to send, executed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in an extended drought and was commencing only his fifth match this term, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the lead against Manchester City. Then he spun and charged towards the bench to embrace Xabi Alonso, the boss in the spotlight for whom this could represent an profound liberation. “This is a challenging time for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Things are not going our way and I wanted to demonstrate everyone that we are united with the coach.” By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the advantage had been taken from them, a defeat taking its place. City had turned it around, going 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso remarked. That can happen when you’re in a “delicate” condition, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. On this occasion, they could not engineer a recovery. Endrick, brought on having played 11 minutes all season, struck the woodwork in the dying moments. A Reserved Judgment “It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo said. The dilemma was whether it would be enough 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 perceived internally. “We demonstrated that we’re with the manager: we have played well, given 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the axe was reserved, any action pending, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla imminent. A Distinct Kind of Defeat Madrid had been defeated at home for the second match in four days, continuing their recent run to a mere pair of successes in eight, but this felt a little different. This was Manchester City, rather than a La Liga opponent. Streamlined, they had shown fight, the easiest and most damning criticism not aimed at them on this night. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a converted penalty, coming close to securing something at the death. There were “many of very good things” about this showing, the boss said, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, on this occasion. The Bernabéu's Muted Reception That was not entirely the complete picture. There were moments in the closing 45 minutes, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At the conclusion, a section of supporters had done so again, although there was in addition pockets of appreciation. But primarily, there was a quiet stream to the subway. “It's to be expected, we understand it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso added: “This is nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were times when they cheered too.” Player Backing Stands Evident “I have the support of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he stood by them, they stood by him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a rapprochement, conversations: the coach had listened to them, perhaps more than they had embraced him, finding common ground not precisely in the center. How lasting a solution that is continues to be an unresolved issue. One little exchange in the post-match press conference appeared notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to follow his own path, Alonso had permitted that idea to linger, responding: “I share a good rapport with Pep, we know each other well and he knows what he is talking about.” A Starting Point of Resistance Most importantly though, he could be pleased that there was a resistance, a pushback. 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 duty or self-interest, but in this climate, it was important. The commitment with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a temptation of the most fundamental of standards somehow being promoted as a form of success. Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had argued the coach had a vision, that their shortcomings were not his doing. “I believe my teammate Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The only way is [for] the players to change the approach. The attitude is the linchpin and today we have observed a change.” Jude Bellingham, questioned if they were behind the coach, also responded quantitatively: “100%.” “We persist in trying to solve it in the changing room,” he elaborated. “We know that the [outside] noise will not be productive so it is about attempting to resolve it in there.” “In my opinion the gaffer has been excellent. I myself have a great rapport with him,” Bellingham added. “Following the run of games where we tied a few, we had some very productive conversations internally.” “All things ends in the end,” Alonso concluded, maybe talking as much about a difficult spell as anything else.
No attacker in Los Blancos' history had endured scoreless for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was released and he had a message to send, executed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in an extended drought and was commencing only his fifth match this term, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the lead against Manchester City. Then he spun and charged towards the bench to embrace Xabi Alonso, the boss in the spotlight for whom this could represent an profound liberation. “This is a challenging time for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Things are not going our way and I wanted to demonstrate everyone that we are united with the coach.” By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the advantage had been taken from them, a defeat taking its place. City had turned it around, going 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso remarked. That can happen when you’re in a “delicate” condition, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. On this occasion, they could not engineer a recovery. Endrick, brought on having played 11 minutes all season, struck the woodwork in the dying moments. A Reserved Judgment “It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo said. The dilemma was whether it would be enough 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 perceived internally. “We demonstrated that we’re with the manager: we have played well, given 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the axe was reserved, any action pending, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla imminent. A Distinct Kind of Defeat Madrid had been defeated at home for the second match in four days, continuing their recent run to a mere pair of successes in eight, but this felt a little different. This was Manchester City, rather than a La Liga opponent. Streamlined, they had shown fight, the easiest and most damning criticism not aimed at them on this night. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a converted penalty, coming close to securing something at the death. There were “many of very good things” about this showing, the boss said, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, on this occasion. The Bernabéu's Muted Reception That was not entirely the complete picture. There were moments in the closing 45 minutes, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At the conclusion, a section of supporters had done so again, although there was in addition pockets of appreciation. But primarily, there was a quiet stream to the subway. “It's to be expected, we understand it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso added: “This is nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were times when they cheered too.” Player Backing Stands Evident “I have the support of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he stood by them, they stood by him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a rapprochement, conversations: the coach had listened to them, perhaps more than they had embraced him, finding common ground not precisely in the center. How lasting a solution that is continues to be an unresolved issue. One little exchange in the post-match press conference appeared notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to follow his own path, Alonso had permitted that idea to linger, responding: “I share a good rapport with Pep, we know each other well and he knows what he is talking about.” A Starting Point of Resistance Most importantly though, he could be pleased that there was a resistance, a pushback. 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 duty or self-interest, but in this climate, it was important. The commitment with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a temptation of the most fundamental of standards somehow being promoted as a form of success. Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had argued the coach had a vision, that their shortcomings were not his doing. “I believe my teammate Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The only way is [for] the players to change the approach. The attitude is the linchpin and today we have observed a change.” Jude Bellingham, questioned if they were behind the coach, also responded quantitatively: “100%.” “We persist in trying to solve it in the changing room,” he elaborated. “We know that the [outside] noise will not be productive so it is about attempting to resolve it in there.” “In my opinion the gaffer has been excellent. I myself have a great rapport with him,” Bellingham added. “Following the run of games where we tied a few, we had some very productive conversations internally.” “All things ends in the end,” Alonso concluded, maybe talking as much about a difficult spell as anything else.