Alonso Treading a Fine Tightrope at Madrid Despite Player Support.

No attacker in Los Blancos' history had gone failing to find the net for as extended a period as Rodrygo, but at last he was released and he had a declaration to send, executed for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had not scored in an extended drought and was beginning only his fifth match this term, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the lead against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he spun and sprinted towards the bench to greet Xabi Alonso, the manager on the edge for whom this could signal an even greater release.

“This is a tough period for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Performances aren't working out and I sought to demonstrate everyone that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the lead had been taken from them, a defeat following. City had turned it around, taking 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso remarked. That can happen when you’re in a “sensitive” situation, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had responded. On this occasion, they could not engineer a recovery. Endrick, introduced off the bench having played a handful of minutes all season, hit the bar in the closing stages.

A Reserved Verdict

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo conceded. The question was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to hold onto his job. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stated, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “We demonstrated that we’re supporting the coach: we have played well, offered 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so the axe was withheld, any action delayed, with games against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A More Credible Form of Defeat

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second match in four days, continuing their uninspiring streak to just two victories in eight, but this was a somewhat distinct. This was Manchester City, rather than a La Liga opponent. Simplified, they had shown fight, the simplest and most harsh criticism not aimed at them this time. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a converted penalty, nearly earning something at the final whistle. There were “numerous of very good things” about this display, the head coach argued, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, tonight.

The Fans' Muted Response

That was not entirely the complete picture. There were periods in the closing 45 minutes, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At the conclusion, a section of supporters had done so again, although there was also some applause. But mostly, there was a subdued flow to the subway. “That’s normal, we accept it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso remarked: “There's nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were moments when they applauded too.”

Player Support Stands Evident

“I feel the support of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he supported them, they stood by him too, at least towards the media. There has been a unification, discussions: the coach had accommodated them, perhaps more than they had embraced him, finding common ground not quite in the center.

The longevity of a fix that is is still an matter of debate. One little exchange in the after-game press conference felt notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to follow his own path, Alonso had allowed that notion to linger, responding: “I have a good rapport with Pep, we know each other well and he is aware of what he is implying.”

A Basis of Resistance

Above all though, he could be satisfied that there was a spirit, a response. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they stood up for him. Some of this may have been theatrical, done out of professionalism or mutual survival, but in this context, it was meaningful. The effort with which they played had been too – even if there is a temptation of the most basic of standards somehow being framed as a form of achievement.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a plan, that their failings were not his doing. “I believe my teammate Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The only way is [for] the players to improve the approach. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have observed a change.”

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

“We’re still striving to work it out in the locker room,” he elaborated. “We know that the [outside] speculation will not be beneficial so it is about attempting to resolve it in there.”

“Personally, I feel the coach has been excellent. I myself have a excellent relationship with him,” Bellingham stated. “Following the run of games where we were held a few, we had some honest conversations among ourselves.”

“Everything passes in the end,” Alonso philosophized, perhaps speaking as much about adversity as anything else.