Manager Alonso Navigating a Thin Line at Madrid Amidst Squad Support.

No offensive player in Los Blancos' annals had endured without a goal for as such a duration as Rodrygo, but finally he was released and he had a message to send, acted out for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in nine months and was beginning only his fifth match this campaign, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the advantage against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he spun and charged towards the bench to hug Xabi Alonso, the boss in the spotlight for whom this could represent an profound release.

“It’s a difficult moment for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Performances are not going our way and I wanted to demonstrate people 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 noted. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” situation, he continued, but at least Madrid had reacted. On this occasion, they could not pull off a recovery. Endrick, brought on having played very little all season, struck the bar in the dying moments.

A Suspended Verdict

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo admitted. The question was whether it would be enough for Alonso to retain his job. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois stated, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was perceived internally. “We have shown that we’re behind the manager: we have played well, given 100%,” Courtois added. And so judgment was postponed, consequences suspended, with games against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A More Credible Form of Setback

Madrid had been overcome at home for the second time in four days, perpetuating their recent run to two wins in eight, but this seemed a little different. This was Manchester City, not a La Liga opponent. Streamlined, they had competed with intensity, the most obvious and most harsh criticism not levelled at them on this night. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a penalty, almost salvaging something at the end. There were “numerous of very good things” about this display, the boss stated, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, not this time.

The Stadium's Mixed Response

That was not entirely the complete picture. There were periods in the latter period, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At full time, a section of supporters had done so again, although there was also sporadic clapping. But mostly, there was a muted stream to the doors. “It's to be expected, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso remarked: “This is nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were instances when they applauded too.”

Squad Backing Remains Evident

“I feel the support of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he backed them, they stood by him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a rapprochement, talks: the coach had listened to them, perhaps more than they had adapted to him, meeting a point not exactly in the middle.

The longevity of a remedy that is remains an matter of debate. One seemingly minor incident in the post-match press conference seemed significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to stick to his principles, Alonso had let that idea to remain unanswered, replying: “I have a good rapport with Pep, we understand each other well and he understands what he is saying.”

A Basis of Resistance

Most importantly though, he could be content that there was a fight, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they stood up for him. Part of it may have been performative, done out of professionalism or self-interest, but in this climate, it was important. The intensity with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a danger of the most fundamental of standards somehow being elevated as a type of positive.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a vision, that their shortcomings were not his responsibility. “I believe my colleague Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The sole solution is [for] the players to improve the attitude. The attitude is the linchpin and today we have observed a shift.”

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

“We’re still trying to solve it in the changing room,” he continued. “We understand that the [outside] speculation will not be productive so it is about striving to fix it in there.”

“Personally, I feel the manager has been superb. I individually have a strong rapport with him,” Bellingham stated. “Following the sequence of games where we were held a few, we had some honest conversations internally.”

“Every situation ends in the end,” Alonso mused, maybe referring as much about adversity as his own predicament.