Manager Alonso Treading a Fine Tightrope at Madrid Amidst Player Support.

No forward in Los Blancos' annals had endured without a goal for as extended a period as Rodrygo, but eventually he was freed and he had a declaration to send, executed for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in nine months and was starting only his fifth match this term, beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to hand his team the advantage against Manchester City. Then he spun and ran towards the sideline to hug Xabi Alonso, the boss in the spotlight for whom this could represent an more significant release.

“It’s a tough moment for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Results aren't working out and I sought to demonstrate people that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the lead had been taken from them, a setback ensuing. City had turned it around, going 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso noted. That can transpire when you’re in a “fragile” condition, he continued, but at least Madrid had fought back. Ultimately, they could not complete a recovery. Endrick, on as a substitute having played very little all season, struck the crossbar in the closing stages.

A Delayed Sentence

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo conceded. The question was whether it would be enough for Alonso to keep his position. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “We have shown that we’re supporting the coach: we have performed creditably, given 100%,” Courtois added. And so judgment was withheld, consequences pending, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Distinct Type of Setback

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second occasion in four days, extending their uninspiring streak to a mere pair of successes in eight, but this was a little different. This was the Premier League champions, not a domestic opponent. Simplified, they had actually run, the most obvious and most critical accusation not levelled at them this time. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a penalty, almost salvaging something at the death. There were “numerous of very good things” about this showing, the head coach stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, tonight.

The Fans' Ambivalent Reception

That was not entirely the case. There were periods in the latter period, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At full time, a portion of supporters had repeated that, although there was also pockets of appreciation. But for the most part, there was a muted flow to the subway. “It's to be expected, we accept it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso stated: “This is nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were moments when they clapped too.”

Squad Unity Remains Evident

“I sense the support of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he supported them, they backed him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a coming together, talks: the coach had listened to them, arguably more than they had adapted to him, meeting a point not precisely in the compromise.

The longevity of a remedy that is continues to be an open question. One little incident in the post-match press conference felt notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to follow his own path, Alonso had allowed that idea to linger, responding: “I share a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he knows what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Resistance

Above all though, he could be satisfied that there was a resistance, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not abandoned their coach during the game and after it they publicly backed him. This support may have been for show, done out of obligation or mutual survival, but in this context, it was meaningful. The effort with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a risk of the most fundamental of requirements somehow being framed as a form of achievement.

The previous day, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a vision, that their failings were not his doing. “I believe my teammate Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The sole solution is [for] the players to change the mindset. The attitude is the linchpin and today we have seen a shift.”

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

“We are continuing striving to figure it out in the changing room,” he elaborated. “It's clear that the [outside] speculation will not be beneficial so it is about attempting to sort it out in there.”

“I think the coach has been superb. I individually have a great rapport with him,” Bellingham concluded. “After the run of games where we drew a few, we had some honest conversations among ourselves.”

“Every situation passes in the end,” Alonso mused, perhaps speaking as much about a difficult spell as his own predicament.