Manager Alonso Treading a Precarious Tightrope at Real Madrid Even With Player Support.

No attacker in Los Blancos' annals had endured scoreless for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was freed and he had a declaration to deliver, executed for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had not scored in nine months and was starting only his fifth appearance this season, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the advantage against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he spun and sprinted towards the bench to embrace Xabi Alonso, the coach under pressure for whom this could represent an profound release.

“This is a challenging time for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Performances are not going our way and I sought to prove people that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the advantage had been surrendered, a defeat following. City had turned it around, going 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso remarked. That can transpire when you’re in a “fragile” condition, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had reacted. This time, they could not engineer a recovery. Endrick, brought on having played very little all season, hit the crossbar in the final seconds.

A Suspended Sentence

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo conceded. The dilemma was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to keep his position. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “Our performance proved that we’re supporting the coach: we have performed creditably, offered 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so judgment was withheld, sentencing delayed, with games against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Distinct Form of Setback

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second time in four days, extending their poor form to just two victories in eight, but this was a more respectable. This was the Premier League champions, rather than a domestic opponent. Streamlined, they had shown fight, the easiest and most harsh charge not directed at them on this night. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a converted penalty, almost securing something at the end. There were “many of very good things” about this display, the head coach stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, on this occasion.

The Bernabéu's Ambivalent Reception

That was not entirely the case. There were spells 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 also pockets of appreciation. But mostly, there was a muted procession to the exits. “It's to be expected, we understand it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso remarked: “It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were moments when they clapped too.”

Dressing Room Support Is Firm

“I feel the support 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, conversations: the coach had accommodated them, maybe more than they had accommodated him, reaching somewhere not exactly in the center.

The longevity of a fix that is continues to be an matter of debate. One small exchange in the after-game press conference felt significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to do things his way, Alonso had allowed that implication to remain unanswered, answering: “I share a good connection with Pep, we understand each other well and he knows what he is implying.”

A Starting Point of Reaction

Most importantly though, he could be content that there was a fight, a pushback. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they defended him. Part of it may have been theatrical, done out of obligation or self-interest, but in this tense environment, it was meaningful. The intensity with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a danger of the most basic of expectations somehow being promoted as a type of positive.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a plan, 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 only way is [for] the players to alter the mindset. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have seen a difference.”

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

“We’re still trying to figure it out in the dressing room,” he elaborated. “We know that the [outside] speculation will not be beneficial so it is about striving to fix it in there.”

“Personally, I feel the coach has been excellent. I personally have a excellent relationship with him,” Bellingham added. “Following the sequence of games where we drew a few, we had some very productive conversations among ourselves.”

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