Xabi Alonso Walking a Precarious Line at Real Madrid Despite Player Support.

No forward in Real Madrid’s record books had gone failing to find the net for as extended a period as Rodrygo, but eventually he was released and he had a statement to deliver, executed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had not scored in an extended drought and was commencing only his fifth match this term, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the advantage against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he spun and ran towards the bench to embrace Xabi Alonso, the coach on the edge for whom this could represent an even greater relief.

“This is a difficult time for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Things are not going our way and I aimed to demonstrate people that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the lead had been taken from them, another loss ensuing. City had reversed the score, going 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso noted. That can happen when you’re in a “delicate” state, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not pull off a recovery. Endrick, on as a substitute having played a handful of minutes all season, struck the crossbar in the final seconds.

A Suspended Verdict

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo said. The issue was whether it would be enough for Alonso to retain his job. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remarked, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was perceived internally. “We demonstrated that we’re with the manager: we have played well, given 100%,” Courtois added. And so the axe was postponed, consequences pending, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Different Form of Defeat

Madrid had been overcome at home for the second match in four days, perpetuating their uninspiring streak to two wins in eight, but this felt a somewhat distinct. This was the Premier League champions, as opposed to a domestic opponent. Streamlined, they had shown fight, the easiest and most critical charge not directed at them this time. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a spot-kick, coming close to securing something at the death. There were “a lot of very good things” about this performance, the head coach argued, and there could be “no blame” of his players, tonight.

The Fans' Muted Reception

That was not completely the full story. There were spells in the closing 45 minutes, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the conclusion, a section of supporters had repeated that, although there was in addition pockets of appreciation. But primarily, there was a subdued flow to the exits. “That’s normal, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso stated: “It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were times when they cheered too.”

Dressing Room Backing Stands Evident

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

Whether durable a fix that is is still an unresolved issue. One small exchange in the post-match press conference seemed notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that idea to remain unanswered, responding: “I have a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he knows what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Resistance

Crucially though, he could be satisfied that there was a resistance, a response. Madrid’s players had not abandoned their coach 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 tense environment, it was meaningful. The effort with which they played had been too – even if there is a danger of the most elementary of expectations somehow being elevated as a form of achievement.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a vision, that their shortcomings were not his responsibility. “I think my teammate Aurélien put it perfectly in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The sole solution is [for] the players to improve the approach. The attitude is the linchpin and today we have observed a difference.”

Jude Bellingham, pressed if they were with the coach, also responded with a figure: “100%.”

“We persist in trying to work it out in the locker room,” he elaborated. “It's clear that the [outside] noise will not be beneficial so it is about trying to resolve it in there.”

“Personally, I feel the coach has been superb. I personally have a strong rapport with him,” Bellingham concluded. “After the sequence of games where we were held a few, we had some honest conversations internally.”

“Everything concludes in the end,” Alonso philosophized, perhaps talking as much about adversity as anything else.