Alonso Navigating a Thin Tightrope at the Bernabéu Despite Player Backing.

No offensive player in the club's record books had endured scoreless for as such a duration as Rodrygo, but at last he was unleashed and he had a declaration to deliver, executed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in an extended drought and was commencing only his fifth appearance this term, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the opening goal against Manchester City. Then he spun and charged towards the sideline to greet Xabi Alonso, the coach on the edge for whom this could represent an profound liberation.

“It’s a tough time for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Performances aren't working out and I wanted to demonstrate the public that we are together with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been surrendered, a defeat following. City had come back, taking 2-1 ahead with “very little”, Alonso noted. That can occur when you’re in a “delicate” condition, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. Ultimately, they could not complete a turnaround. Endrick, introduced off the bench having played 11 minutes all season, rattled the woodwork in the closing stages.

A Suspended Sentence

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo conceded. The issue was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to keep his job. “That wasn't our perception [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 perceived internally. “Our performance proved that we’re with the manager: we have given a good account, given 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the final decision was postponed, sentencing suspended, with games against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Distinct Type of Setback

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second occasion in four days, extending their recent run to two wins in eight, but this was a somewhat distinct. This was the Premier League champions, not a lesser opponent. Streamlined, they had actually run, the simplest and most critical criticism not levelled at them this time. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a penalty, almost earning something at the final whistle. There were “a lot of very good things” about this display, the manager argued, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, tonight.

The Stadium's Mixed Response

That was not entirely the complete picture. There were spells in the second half, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the final whistle, a section of supporters had continued, although there was likewise sporadic clapping. But primarily, there was a subdued flow to the subway. “It's to be expected, we accept it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso remarked: “This is nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were moments when they applauded too.”

Dressing Room Support Is Strong

“I have the backing of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he backed them, they stood by him too, at least for the media. There has been a unification, talks: the coach had accommodated them, perhaps more than they had embraced him, reaching somewhere not exactly in the center.

The longevity of a remedy that is is still an unresolved issue. One little moment in the after-game press conference felt significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to do things his way, Alonso had let that idea to remain unanswered, replying: “I have a good relationship with Pep, we know each other well and he knows what he is saying.”

A Foundation of Reaction

Most importantly though, he could be satisfied that there was a fight, a pushback. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they defended him. This support may have been for show, done out of professionalism or self-interest, but in this tense environment, it was significant. The commitment with which they played had been too – even if there is a temptation of the most basic of requirements somehow being elevated as a form of success.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a plan, that their failings were not his doing. “I think my colleague Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The key is [for] the players to improve the approach. The attitude is the key thing and today we have seen a difference.”

Jude Bellingham, questioned if they were supporting the coach, also replied quantitatively: “100%.”

“We’re still attempting to work it out in the dressing room,” he elaborated. “It's clear that the [outside] noise will not be productive so it is about attempting to resolve it in there.”

“In my opinion the gaffer has been great. I individually have a great connection with him,” Bellingham concluded. “After the run of games where we tied a few, we had some very productive conversations behind the scenes.”

“Everything concludes in the end,” Alonso concluded, maybe speaking as much about a difficult spell as his own predicament.