Xabi Alonso Walking a Precarious Line at Madrid Amidst Squad Backing.

No forward in Los Blancos' annals had experienced failing to find the net for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was released and he had a declaration to deliver, acted out for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had not scored in nine months and was commencing only his fifth appearance this campaign, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the advantage against the English champions. Then he spun and ran towards the sideline to greet Xabi Alonso, the boss on the edge for whom this could prove an profound release.

“This is a tough period for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Results aren’t coming off and I sought to prove everyone that we are together with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the lead had been lost, a setback following. City had reversed the score, taking 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso observed. That can happen when you’re in a “fragile” situation, he added, but at least Madrid had responded. Ultimately, they could not pull off a turnaround. Endrick, brought on having played very little all season, hit the woodwork in the closing stages.

A Suspended Judgment

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo conceded. The question was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to retain his position. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was perceived internally. “Our performance proved that we’re with the manager: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so judgment was postponed, sentencing suspended, with games against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A More Credible Form of Setback

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second match in four days, extending their uninspiring streak to two wins in eight, but this seemed a somewhat distinct. This was Manchester City, as opposed to a domestic opponent. Simplified, they had competed with intensity, the most obvious and most critical accusation not directed at them this time. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a spot-kick, coming close to securing something at the final whistle. There were “a lot of very good things” about this showing, the manager stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, not this time.

The Bernabéu's Muted Reception

That was not entirely the full story. There were moments in the closing 45 minutes, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At the conclusion, a portion of supporters had continued, although there was also pockets of appreciation. But primarily, there was a subdued flow to the subway. “That’s normal, we accept it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso remarked: “It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were moments when they applauded too.”

Dressing Room Unity Stands Strong

“I feel the backing of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he supported them, they stood by him too, at least for the media. There has been a unification, conversations: the coach had listened to them, arguably more than they had embraced him, finding somewhere not precisely in the compromise.

The longevity of a solution that is remains an matter of debate. One seemingly minor exchange in the after-game press conference seemed telling. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to stick to his principles, Alonso had permitted that idea to remain unanswered, responding: “I have a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he understands what he is implying.”

A Basis of Fight

Above all though, he could be content that there was a spirit, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not abandoned their coach during the game and after it they defended him. Some of this may have been theatrical, done out of duty or mutual survival, but in this climate, it was meaningful. The commitment with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a danger of the most basic of requirements somehow being promoted as a type of positive.

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

Jude Bellingham, pressed if they were behind the coach, also answered quantitatively: “100%.”

“We’re still trying to figure it out in the dressing room,” he said. “It's clear that the [outside] noise will not be productive so it is about striving to sort it out in there.”

“Personally, I feel the gaffer has been great. I myself have a strong rapport with him,” Bellingham added. “After the sequence of games where we were held a few, we had some really great conversations among ourselves.”

“Every situation passes in the end,” Alonso philosophized, maybe referring as much about a difficult spell as everything.