Alonso Navigating a Fine Line at Madrid Even With Squad Backing.

No offensive player in Real Madrid’s record books had endured without a goal for as extended a period as Rodrygo, but at last he was unleashed and he had a message to deliver, acted out for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in almost a year and was beginning only his fifth match this campaign, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the opening goal against Manchester City. Then he wheeled and sprinted towards the touchline to embrace Xabi Alonso, the manager in the spotlight for whom this could represent an even greater release.

“This is a challenging moment for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Performances aren't working out and I sought to show people that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the lead had been lost, a setback taking its place. City had turned it around, taking 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso observed. That can occur when you’re in a “delicate” condition, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had reacted. 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 closing stages.

A Suspended Verdict

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo admitted. The issue was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to retain his role. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stated, 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 with the coach: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so the final decision was postponed, sentencing suspended, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Different Form of Setback

Madrid had been overcome at home for the second occasion in four days, perpetuating their uninspiring streak to two wins in eight, but this seemed a little different. This was a European powerhouse, rather than a lesser opponent. Streamlined, they had competed with intensity, the most obvious and most damning charge not directed at them on this night. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a spot-kick, coming close to securing something at the end. There were “many of very good things” about this display, the boss stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, on this occasion.

The Bernabéu's Mixed Reception

That was not always the case. There were moments in the latter period, 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 some applause. But mostly, there was a muted stream to the exits. “We understand that, we understand it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso added: “It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were instances when they clapped too.”

Player Backing Stands Firm

“I have the confidence of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he backed them, they supported him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a coming together, discussions: the coach had considered them, perhaps more than they had adapted to him, finding common ground not precisely in the middle.

The longevity of a solution that is remains an unresolved issue. One little incident in the after-game press conference felt telling. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to follow his own path, Alonso had permitted that idea to hang there, replying: “I share a good rapport with Pep, we know each other well and he knows what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Fight

Above all though, he could be content that there was a spirit, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they stood up for him. Some of this may have been for show, done out of professionalism or mutual survival, but in this tense environment, it was important. The intensity with which they played had been too – even if there is a danger of the most elementary of standards somehow being framed as a form of positive.

The previous day, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a vision, that their mistakes were not his doing. “I believe my colleague Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The key is [for] the players to change the mindset. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have observed a shift.”

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

“We are continuing trying to work it out in the changing room,” he said. “We understand that the [outside] speculation will not be helpful so it is about trying to resolve it in there.”

“I think the manager has been great. I individually have a great connection with him,” Bellingham added. “Following the run of games where we were held a few, we had some honest conversations internally.”

“All things passes in the end,” Alonso concluded, possibly talking as much about poor form as anything else.