Manager Alonso Treading a Precarious Tightrope at Madrid Amidst Player Support.

No offensive player in the club's record books had gone scoreless for as extended a period as Rodrygo, but eventually he was released and he had a declaration to deliver, performed for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in nine months and was commencing only his fifth appearance this term, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the advantage against Manchester City. Then he turned and charged towards the touchline to embrace Xabi Alonso, the manager on the edge for whom this could signal an more significant relief.

“It’s a difficult moment for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Things aren't working out and I sought to demonstrate the public that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the lead had been surrendered, another loss taking its place. City had reversed the score, taking 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso noted. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” condition, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had fought back. On this occasion, they could not complete a turnaround. Endrick, brought on having played 11 minutes all season, hit the woodwork in the closing stages.

A Suspended Judgment

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo conceded. The dilemma was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to hold onto his position. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois stated, but that was how it had been presented externally, and how it was felt privately. “We have shown that we’re supporting the coach: we have given a good account, offered 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so judgment was withheld, any action suspended, with games against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Distinct Form of Setback

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second match in four days, perpetuating their recent run to two wins in eight, but this seemed a more respectable. This was the Premier League champions, not a lesser opponent. Streamlined, they had shown fight, the simplest and most damning charge not levelled at them this time. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a converted penalty, coming close to securing something at the end. There were “a lot of very good things” about this display, the head coach argued, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, not this time.

The Stadium's Muted Response

That was not entirely the complete picture. There were spells in the second half, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At the final whistle, a section of supporters had continued, although there was in addition sporadic clapping. But primarily, there was a muted stream to the subway. “That’s normal, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso added: “This is nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were times when they clapped too.”

Dressing Room Unity Remains Evident

“I sense the confidence of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he stood by them, they backed him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a rapprochement, discussions: the coach had considered them, maybe more than they had adapted to him, finding a point not exactly in the middle.

How lasting a remedy that is continues to be an open question. One seemingly minor exchange in the post-match press conference appeared notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to do things his way, Alonso had let that implication to hang there, replying: “I share a good rapport with Pep, we understand each other well and he knows what he is talking about.”

A Basis of Reaction

Most importantly though, he could be pleased that there was a fight, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they publicly backed him. This support may have been theatrical, done out of professionalism or self-preservation, but in this tense environment, it was meaningful. The intensity with which they played had been too – even if there is a danger of the most elementary of standards somehow being promoted as a form of success.

The previous day, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a plan, that their shortcomings were not his doing. “I believe my teammate Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “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 with the coach, also responded with a figure: “100%.”

“We are continuing trying to figure it out in the dressing room,” he continued. “We know that the [outside] speculation will not be productive so it is about trying to resolve it in there.”

“In my opinion the coach has been excellent. I myself have a great connection with him,” Bellingham stated. “After the spell of games where we were held a few, we had some really great conversations behind the scenes.”

“Every situation concludes in the end,” Alonso philosophized, possibly speaking as much about poor form as anything else.