Alonso Navigating a Fine Line at Madrid Even With Dressing Room Support.

No offensive player in the club's annals had gone without a goal for as long as Rodrygo, but finally he was unleashed and he had a declaration to broadcast, performed for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in an extended drought and was commencing only his fifth game this campaign, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the advantage against the English champions. Then he turned and sprinted towards the sideline to hug Xabi Alonso, the coach on the edge for whom this could prove an more significant liberation.

“It’s a tough period for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Things aren’t coming off and I wanted to show the public that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been lost, a defeat ensuing. City had reversed the score, going 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso observed. That can happen when you’re in a “sensitive” situation, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. On this occasion, they could not complete a turnaround. Endrick, introduced off the bench having played 11 minutes all season, struck the crossbar in the final seconds.

A Delayed Verdict

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo admitted. The question was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to retain his position. “That wasn't our perception [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois remarked, but that was how it had been presented externally, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “We have shown that we’re behind the coach: we have performed creditably, provided 100%,” Courtois added. And so the final decision was postponed, any action delayed, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Different Type of Loss

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second time in four days, extending their uninspiring streak to just two victories in eight, but this was a little different. This was Manchester City, rather than a lesser opponent. Streamlined, they had actually run, the most obvious and most harsh accusation not directed at them this time. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a penalty, nearly securing something at the end. There were “numerous of very good things” about this display, the head coach said, and there could be “no blame” of his players, on this occasion.

The Stadium's Muted Reception

That was not entirely the complete picture. There were spells in the second half, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At the final whistle, a section of supporters had done so again, although there was in addition sporadic clapping. But mostly, there was a quiet flow to the subway. “That’s normal, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso remarked: “There's nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were instances when they cheered too.”

Player Backing Remains Evident

“I have the backing of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he stood by them, they backed him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a coming together, conversations: the coach had listened to them, perhaps more than they had embraced him, finding a point not quite in the compromise.

Whether durable a solution that is is still an matter of debate. One small exchange in the post-match press conference felt notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to do things his way, Alonso had allowed that idea to remain unanswered, answering: “I have a good connection with Pep, we understand each other well and he knows what he is implying.”

A Starting Point of Reaction

Above all though, he could be content that there was a fight, a pushback. Madrid’s players had not abandoned their coach during the game and after it they defended him. This support may have been performative, done out of obligation or self-preservation, but in this climate, it was meaningful. The intensity with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a danger of the most basic of requirements somehow being framed as a type of success.

The previous day, Aurélien Tchouaméni had argued the coach had a vision, that their failings were not his doing. “I believe my teammate Aurélien put it perfectly in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “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, questioned if they were with the coach, also replied in numbers: “100%.”

“We persist in attempting to work it out in the dressing room,” he continued. “We know that the [outside] noise will not be helpful so it is about striving to resolve it in there.”

“I think the coach has been great. I personally have a excellent connection with him,” Bellingham stated. “After the run of games where we were held a few, we had some honest conversations internally.”

“All things ends in the end,” Alonso philosophized, maybe referring as much about adversity as everything.