Alonso Navigating a Precarious Tightrope at the Bernabéu Despite Player Endorsement.

No offensive player in Real Madrid’s record books had endured without a goal for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was freed and he had a declaration to send, performed for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in an extended drought and was starting only his fifth appearance this term, beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the opening goal against Manchester City. Then he spun and charged towards the touchline to embrace Xabi Alonso, the coach in the spotlight for whom this could represent an profound liberation.

“This is a challenging period for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Results are not going our way and I wanted to prove the public that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the lead had been taken from them, a defeat taking its place. City had turned it around, taking 2-1 ahead with “very little”, Alonso observed. That can happen when you’re in a “delicate” situation, he continued, but at least Madrid had reacted. This time, they could not pull off a comeback. Endrick, brought on having played 11 minutes all season, hit the woodwork in the closing stages.

A Suspended Verdict

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo admitted. 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 understood behind closed doors. “We have shown that we’re behind the manager: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so judgment was reserved, sentencing delayed, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A More Credible Type of Defeat

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second match in four days, perpetuating their poor form to a mere pair of successes in eight, but this felt a little different. This was a European powerhouse, as opposed to a domestic opponent. Stripped down, they had actually run, the most obvious and most critical charge not aimed at them on this night. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a penalty, almost salvaging something at the final whistle. There were “many of very good things” about this performance, the head coach stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, on this occasion.

The Stadium's Ambivalent Reception

That was not always the case. There were moments in the closing 45 minutes, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At full time, a section of supporters had continued, although there was likewise pockets of appreciation. But for the most part, there was a quiet stream to the subway. “It's to be expected, we accept it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso added: “This is nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were moments when they applauded too.”

Squad Support Is Firm

“I sense the backing of the players,” Alonso said. And if he stood by them, they stood by him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a unification, discussions: the coach had accommodated them, perhaps more than they had embraced him, meeting a point not precisely in the center.

How lasting a remedy that is continues to be an matter of debate. One little incident in the post-match press conference seemed significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that implication to linger, answering: “I share a good relationship with Pep, we understand each other well and he understands what he is implying.”

A Starting Point of Resistance

Above all though, he could be satisfied that there was a spirit, a response. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they stood up for him. This support may have been theatrical, done out of professionalism or self-interest, but in this context, it was important. The effort with which they played had been too – even if there is a temptation of the most fundamental of standards somehow being elevated as a type of achievement.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a plan, that their failings were not his fault. “In my view my colleague Aurélien put it perfectly in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The only way is [for] the players to alter the mindset. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have witnessed a change.”

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

“We persist in attempting to solve it in the dressing room,” he said. “We understand that the [outside] chatter will not be helpful so it is about attempting to resolve it in there.”

“In my opinion the gaffer has been great. I personally have a excellent connection with him,” Bellingham concluded. “Following the spell of games where we were held a few, we had some honest conversations internally.”

“All things passes in the end,” Alonso concluded, maybe talking as much about poor form as everything.