Alonso Navigating a Precarious Line at Real Madrid Amidst Player Support.

No offensive player in Real Madrid’s history had gone scoreless for as such a duration as Rodrygo, but finally he was unleashed and he had a declaration to broadcast, executed for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had not scored in an extended drought and was starting only his fifth game this season, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the lead against Manchester City. Then he wheeled and charged towards the bench to hug Xabi Alonso, the boss under pressure for whom this could prove an profound relief.

“It’s a difficult time for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Performances are not going our way and I sought to prove people that we are together with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been lost, a setback taking its place. City had reversed the score, going 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso remarked. That can happen when you’re in a “sensitive” state, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. Ultimately, they could not complete a comeback. Endrick, brought on having played a handful of minutes all season, struck the bar in the closing stages.

A Reserved Verdict

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo admitted. The issue was whether it would be enough for Alonso to hold onto his role. “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 understood behind closed doors. “Our performance proved that we’re with the coach: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the final decision was reserved, any action suspended, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A Different Type of Loss

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second occasion in four days, extending their recent run to just two victories in eight, but this seemed a somewhat distinct. This was Manchester City, rather than a domestic opponent. Streamlined, they had competed with intensity, the easiest and most critical charge not levelled at them in this instance. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a converted penalty, nearly salvaging something at the end. There were “a lot of very good things” about this showing, the boss argued, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, on this occasion.

The Fans' Muted Reception

That was not completely the complete picture. There were moments in the second half, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the conclusion, some of supporters had done so again, although there was likewise pockets of appreciation. But mostly, there was a subdued stream to the subway. “That’s normal, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso remarked: “It’s nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were moments when they cheered too.”

Squad Backing Stands Strong

“I sense the support of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he supported them, they stood by him too, at least towards the public. There has been a rapprochement, discussions: the coach had considered them, arguably more than they had accommodated him, reaching a point not quite in the compromise.

How lasting a remedy that is continues to be an open question. One seemingly minor moment in the after-game press conference felt notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that idea to linger, answering: “I have a good rapport with Pep, we understand each other well and he is aware of what he is implying.”

A Basis 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. Part of it may have been performative, done out of duty or self-preservation, but in this context, it was meaningful. The effort with which they played had been as well – even if there is a risk of the most fundamental of expectations somehow being framed as a form of success.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a vision, that their mistakes were not his responsibility. “In my view my teammate Aurélien put it perfectly in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The sole solution is [for] the players to alter the mindset. The attitude is the linchpin and today we have seen a shift.”

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

“We persist in attempting to solve it in the changing room,” he said. “We understand that the [outside] speculation will not be helpful so it is about trying to sort it out in there.”

“I think the gaffer has been superb. I individually have a excellent connection with him,” Bellingham added. “Following the spell of games where we drew a few, we had some honest conversations behind the scenes.”

“Every situation concludes in the end,” Alonso mused, maybe referring as much about adversity as everything.