Manager Alonso Walking a Thin Line at the Bernabéu Even With Squad Support.

No offensive player in Real Madrid’s record books had endured without a goal for as long as Rodrygo, but eventually he was unleashed and he had a declaration to deliver, performed for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had not scored in nine months and was beginning only his fifth game this campaign, beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the lead against Manchester City. Then he spun and ran towards the sideline to embrace Xabi Alonso, the manager on the edge for whom this could represent an more significant liberation.

“It’s a challenging moment for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Things aren’t coming off and I wanted to show everyone that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been lost, a defeat ensuing. City had reversed the score, going 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso noted. That can happen when you’re in a “sensitive” condition, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not complete a recovery. Endrick, on as a substitute having played very little all season, struck the crossbar in the dying moments.

A Reserved Sentence

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo said. The issue was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to hold onto his job. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been presented externally, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “We have shown that we’re behind the coach: we have performed creditably, given 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so the final decision was withheld, consequences suspended, with games against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A Distinct Form of Setback

Madrid had been overcome at home for the second occasion in four days, extending their poor form to two wins in eight, but this seemed a more respectable. This was a European powerhouse, rather than a La Liga opponent. Streamlined, they had shown fight, the most obvious and most critical charge not aimed at them this time. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a penalty, nearly securing something at the death. There were “many of very good things” about this performance, the manager said, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, not this time.

The Fans' Muted Reaction

That was not entirely the complete picture. There were spells in the second half, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At full time, a portion of supporters had done so again, although there was also pockets of appreciation. But for the most part, there was a quiet procession to the doors. “It's to be expected, we understand it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso stated: “This is nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were instances when they clapped too.”

Dressing Room Support Is Strong

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

The longevity of a solution that is is still an open question. One seemingly minor incident in the after-game press conference seemed significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to follow his own path, Alonso had allowed that implication to remain unanswered, responding: “I have a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he knows what he is talking about.”

A Basis of Reaction

Most importantly though, he could be pleased that there was a spirit, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they stood up for him. This support may have been theatrical, done out of professionalism or self-preservation, but in this climate, it was meaningful. The intensity with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a temptation of the most fundamental of expectations somehow being elevated as a type of success.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a strategy, that their mistakes were not his fault. “I believe my colleague Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The key is [for] the players to change the attitude. The attitude is the key thing and today we have seen a difference.”

Jude Bellingham, asked if they were supporting the coach, also replied quantitatively: “100%.”

“We are continuing attempting to work it out in the dressing room,” he continued. “We understand that the [outside] noise will not be beneficial so it is about attempting to sort it out in there.”

“Personally, I feel the coach has been excellent. I personally have a great connection with him,” Bellingham added. “After the run of games where we were held a few, we had some really great conversations behind the scenes.”

“All things ends in the end,” Alonso mused, possibly speaking as much about a difficult spell as everything.