Alonso Walking a Precarious Tightrope at Madrid Amidst Player Support.

No offensive player in the club's annals had experienced without a goal for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was released and he had a declaration to broadcast, performed for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in almost a year and was starting only his fifth appearance this term, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the lead against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he spun and ran towards the touchline to greet Xabi Alonso, the boss on the edge for whom this could represent an even greater relief.

“It’s a difficult moment for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Things aren't working out and I aimed to demonstrate the public that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been surrendered, a defeat taking its place. City had reversed the score, taking 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso observed. That can happen when you’re in a “fragile” situation, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. Ultimately, they could not engineer a turnaround. Endrick, introduced off the bench having played 11 minutes all season, struck the woodwork in the closing stages.

A Delayed Sentence

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo conceded. The question was whether it would be enough for Alonso to hold onto his role. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remarked, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was felt privately. “Our performance proved that we’re behind the coach: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the axe was postponed, sentencing suspended, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Distinct Form of Defeat

Madrid had been overcome at home for the second match in four days, perpetuating their recent run to just two victories in eight, but this felt a somewhat distinct. This was a European powerhouse, as opposed to a lesser opponent. Simplified, they had competed with intensity, the simplest and most critical accusation not aimed at them on this night. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a converted penalty, coming close to salvaging something at the final whistle. There were “a lot of very good things” about this showing, the boss stated, and there could be “no blame” of his players, on this occasion.

The Bernabéu's Mixed Response

That was not completely the case. There were moments in the closing 45 minutes, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At the final whistle, a portion of supporters had continued, although there was likewise some applause. But mostly, there was a muted procession to the doors. “It's to be expected, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso remarked: “This is nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were moments when they clapped too.”

Dressing Room Support Remains Strong

“I sense the confidence of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he backed them, they backed him too, at least for the public. There has been a coming together, talks: the coach had accommodated them, maybe more than they had embraced him, reaching a point not exactly in the middle.

The longevity of a remedy that is is still an matter of debate. One little incident in the post-match press conference seemed notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that idea to remain unanswered, answering: “I share a good connection with Pep, we understand each other well and he knows what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Resistance

Above all though, he could be pleased that there was a fight, a response. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they publicly backed him. This support may have been for show, done out of obligation or self-preservation, but in this tense environment, it was meaningful. The intensity with which they played had been too – even if there is a risk of the most elementary of standards somehow being elevated as a form of success.

The previous day, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a strategy, that their shortcomings were not his responsibility. “I think my colleague Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The only way is [for] the players to improve the approach. The attitude is the key thing and today we have seen a change.”

Jude Bellingham, asked if they were supporting the coach, also answered with a figure: “100%.”

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

“Personally, I feel the coach has been great. I individually have a excellent relationship with him,” Bellingham concluded. “Following the sequence of games where we tied a few, we had some really great conversations behind the scenes.”

“Every situation concludes in the end,” Alonso concluded, maybe referring as much about adversity as anything else.