Manager Alonso Treading a Precarious Path at Real Madrid Despite Player Backing.

No attacker in Los Blancos' history had gone failing to find the net for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was released and he had a statement to broadcast, performed for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in almost a year and was starting only his fifth appearance this campaign, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to hand his team the opening goal against Manchester City. Then he spun and ran towards the sideline to greet Xabi Alonso, the boss in the spotlight for whom this could represent an profound release.

“It’s a tough period for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Performances are not going our way and I aimed to demonstrate people that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been surrendered, a defeat ensuing. City had come back, taking 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso noted. That can occur when you’re in a “sensitive” condition, he added, but at least Madrid had responded. Ultimately, they could not complete a recovery. Endrick, brought on having played very little all season, hit the woodwork in the dying moments.

A Delayed Judgment

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo conceded. The dilemma was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to hold onto his position. “That wasn't our perception [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stated, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was perceived internally. “We have shown that we’re with the coach: we have given a good account, offered 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the final decision was postponed, sentencing pending, with games against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A More Credible Kind of Setback

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second time in four days, perpetuating their uninspiring streak to two wins in eight, but this was a little different. This was the Premier League champions, as opposed to a La Liga opponent. Simplified, they had shown fight, the simplest and most harsh charge not aimed at them in this instance. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a penalty, nearly salvaging something at the end. There were “many of very good things” about this display, the manager said, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, on this occasion.

The Bernabéu's Ambivalent Response

That was not entirely the full story. There were spells in the closing 45 minutes, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At the conclusion, a portion of supporters had repeated that, although there was also some applause. But mostly, there was a subdued stream to the exits. “That’s normal, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso added: “This is nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were moments when they cheered too.”

Dressing Room Unity Stands Evident

“I have the confidence of the players,” Alonso said. And if he stood by them, they backed him too, at least towards the media. There has been a unification, discussions: the coach had considered them, maybe more than they had accommodated him, finding common ground not precisely in the center.

Whether durable a fix that is is still an matter of debate. One seemingly minor incident in the after-game press conference seemed significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to stick to his principles, Alonso had let that idea to linger, replying: “I share a good relationship with Pep, we know each other well and he is aware of what he is talking about.”

A Foundation of Reaction

Most importantly though, he could be pleased that there was a spirit, a response. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they defended him. This support may have been performative, done out of duty or self-preservation, but in this tense environment, it was important. The effort with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a danger of the most fundamental of requirements somehow being framed as a form of success.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a strategy, that their shortcomings were not his doing. “In my view my colleague 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 crucial element and today we have observed a shift.”

Jude Bellingham, asked if they were with the coach, also replied quantitatively: “100%.”

“We’re still trying to solve it in the locker room,” he elaborated. “We understand that the [outside] noise will not be beneficial so it is about trying to sort it out in there.”

“I think the coach has been great. I personally have a excellent connection with him,” Bellingham stated. “After the run of games where we tied a few, we had some honest conversations internally.”

“Every situation passes in the end,” Alonso concluded, maybe referring as much about poor form as his own predicament.