Alonso Walking a Thin Path at Madrid Even With Player Endorsement.

No offensive player in Los Blancos' record books had gone scoreless for as such a duration as Rodrygo, but eventually he was freed and he had a statement to send, executed for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in nine months and was beginning only his fifth match this campaign, beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the lead against the English champions. Then he wheeled and sprinted towards the sideline to embrace Xabi Alonso, the manager on the edge for whom this could represent an even greater liberation.

“It’s a difficult period for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Performances are not going our way and I wanted to prove the public that we are together with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the lead had been taken from them, a setback ensuing. City had reversed the score, taking 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso noted. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” condition, he continued, but at least Madrid had reacted. On this occasion, they could not pull off a recovery. Endrick, introduced off the bench having played 11 minutes all season, hit the bar in the dying moments.

A Reserved Sentence

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo said. The question was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to retain his role. “That wasn't our perception [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remarked, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “We demonstrated that we’re behind the coach: we have performed creditably, given 100%,” Courtois added. And so the axe was withheld, any action pending, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Different Form of Defeat

Madrid had been overcome at home for the second match in four days, extending their poor form to just two victories in eight, but this felt a little different. This was Manchester City, not a lesser opponent. Stripped down, they had shown fight, the simplest and most damning criticism not levelled at them this time. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a penalty, almost earning something at the end. There were “many of very good things” about this display, the head coach argued, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, not this time.

The Stadium's Mixed Reception

That was not always the full story. There were spells in the second half, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the conclusion, a section of supporters had repeated that, although there was likewise sporadic clapping. But primarily, there was a subdued flow to the doors. “It's to be expected, we accept it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso remarked: “There's nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were moments when they cheered too.”

Dressing Room Backing Is Strong

“I feel the confidence of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he stood by them, they stood by him too, at least for the public. There has been a rapprochement, conversations: the coach had considered them, arguably more than they had accommodated him, finding a point not precisely in the center.

Whether durable a remedy that is is still an matter of debate. One small incident in the after-game press conference felt telling. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to follow his own path, Alonso had allowed that implication to hang there, responding: “I share a good relationship with Pep, we know each other well and he understands what he is saying.”

A Starting Point of Reaction

Crucially though, he could be pleased that there was a fight, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they publicly backed him. Some of this may have been theatrical, done out of obligation or mutual survival, but in this context, it was important. The effort with which they played had been as well – even if there is a risk of the most elementary of expectations somehow being elevated as a kind of achievement.

The previous day, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a vision, that their shortcomings were not his fault. “I think my teammate Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The key is [for] the players to alter the attitude. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have witnessed a difference.”

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

“We persist in trying to figure it out in the dressing room,” he said. “We understand that the [outside] speculation will not be helpful so it is about trying to fix it in there.”

“In my opinion the gaffer has been great. I individually have a strong relationship with him,” Bellingham concluded. “After the run of games where we drew a few, we had some really great conversations internally.”

“Every situation ends in the end,” Alonso concluded, maybe referring as much about poor form as his own predicament.