Manager Alonso Treading a Thin Tightrope at Madrid Amidst Squad Endorsement.

No offensive player in Los Blancos' history had experienced failing to find the net for as such a duration as Rodrygo, but eventually he was freed and he had a declaration to deliver, performed for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had not scored in nine months and was starting only his fifth game this season, beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the advantage against the English champions. Then he turned and charged towards the sideline to embrace Xabi Alonso, the manager in the spotlight for whom this could signal an even greater relief.

“It’s a challenging period for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Performances are not going our way and I sought to demonstrate everyone that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the lead had been taken from them, a defeat taking its place. City had turned it around, going 2-1 ahead with “very little”, Alonso observed. That can happen when you’re in a “fragile” state, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not complete a recovery. Endrick, brought on having played 11 minutes all season, struck the bar in the closing stages.

A Delayed Judgment

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo admitted. The dilemma was whether it would be enough for Alonso to keep his job. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been presented externally, and how it was felt privately. “We demonstrated that we’re with the coach: we have performed creditably, given 100%,” Courtois added. And so the axe was postponed, consequences suspended, with games against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Distinct Kind of Setback

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second occasion in four days, extending their recent run to just two victories in eight, but this was a somewhat distinct. This was the Premier League champions, as opposed to a domestic opponent. Stripped down, they had shown fight, the most obvious and most harsh charge not levelled at them on this night. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a penalty, coming close to securing something at the death. There were “many of very good things” about this display, the manager argued, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, on this occasion.

The Stadium's Mixed Response

That was not always the case. There were spells in the closing 45 minutes, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At full time, some of supporters had repeated that, although there was likewise pockets of appreciation. But mostly, there was a quiet stream to the doors. “That’s normal, we understand it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso remarked: “It’s nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were instances when they applauded too.”

Player Unity Remains Firm

“I have the confidence of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he stood by them, they stood by him too, at least for the media. There has been a unification, conversations: the coach had considered them, maybe more than they had embraced him, finding somewhere not quite in the center.

Whether durable a fix that is is still an unresolved issue. One seemingly minor exchange in the after-game press conference felt notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to stick to his principles, Alonso had permitted that idea to remain unanswered, responding: “I have a good relationship with Pep, we understand each other well and he is aware of what he is talking about.”

A Foundation of Resistance

Crucially though, he could be content that there was a spirit, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they defended him. Part of it may have been performative, done out of obligation or self-interest, but in this context, it was important. The effort with which they played had been too – even if there is a risk of the most elementary of expectations somehow being promoted as a form of achievement.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a vision, that their mistakes were not his doing. “I believe my teammate Aurélien put it perfectly in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The key is [for] the players to change the mindset. The attitude is the linchpin and today we have observed a shift.”

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

“We are continuing attempting to solve it in the changing room,” he elaborated. “We understand that the [outside] noise will not be productive so it is about striving to fix it in there.”

“In my opinion the gaffer has been superb. I personally have a excellent relationship with him,” Bellingham stated. “Following the spell of games where we drew a few, we had some really great conversations behind the scenes.”

“All things passes in the end,” Alonso philosophized, possibly referring as much about a difficult spell as anything else.