Alonso Walking a Fine Line at Madrid Amidst Player Endorsement.

No attacker in Los Blancos' annals had gone without a goal for as extended a period as Rodrygo, but eventually he was unleashed and he had a message to deliver, performed for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in an extended drought and was commencing only his fifth match this season, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the lead against the English champions. Then he wheeled and sprinted towards the touchline to greet Xabi Alonso, the coach under pressure for whom this could represent an even greater relief.

“This is a challenging time for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Things aren't working out and I wanted to show everyone that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the lead had been lost, another loss following. City had come back, taking 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso remarked. That can occur when you’re in a “delicate” state, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had reacted. Ultimately, they could not pull off a comeback. Endrick, on as a substitute having played a handful of minutes all season, hit the bar in the closing stages.

A Reserved Judgment

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo admitted. The question was whether it would be enough for Alonso to keep his position. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “Our performance proved that we’re supporting the manager: we have given a good account, offered 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so the axe was withheld, sentencing pending, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A Distinct Type of Defeat

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second occasion in four days, extending their uninspiring streak to just two victories in eight, but this seemed a little different. This was Manchester City, not a domestic opponent. Stripped down, they had shown fight, the easiest and most critical charge not levelled at them in this instance. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a converted penalty, nearly earning something at the final whistle. There were “a lot of very good things” about this display, the head coach argued, and there could be “no blame” of his players, tonight.

The Bernabéu's Mixed Reaction

That was not always the full story. There were periods in the second half, 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 in addition some applause. But primarily, there was a muted flow to the exits. “It's to be expected, we understand it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso remarked: “It’s nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were times when they cheered too.”

Dressing Room Unity Remains Firm

“I feel the backing of the players,” Alonso said. And if he stood by them, they stood by him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a unification, conversations: the coach had accommodated them, perhaps more than they had adapted to him, meeting common ground not precisely in the middle.

The longevity of a remedy that is is still an matter of debate. One small moment in the after-game press conference appeared significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to follow his own path, Alonso had permitted that idea to remain unanswered, replying: “I share a good connection with Pep, we understand each other well and he is aware of what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Resistance

Most importantly though, he could be pleased that there was a spirit, a pushback. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they stood up for him. Part of it may have been theatrical, done out of professionalism or self-preservation, but in this context, it was important. The commitment with which they played had been as well – even if there is a risk of the most fundamental of expectations somehow being elevated as a type of achievement.

The previous day, Aurélien Tchouaméni had argued the coach had a plan, that their failings were not his doing. “In my view my teammate Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The key is [for] the players to alter the mindset. The attitude is the key thing and today we have seen a difference.”

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

“We’re still striving to figure it out in the dressing room,” he elaborated. “We know that the [outside] chatter will not be helpful so it is about trying to resolve it in there.”

“Personally, I feel the manager has been excellent. 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 internally.”

“Everything ends in the end,” Alonso philosophized, maybe speaking as much about poor form as his own predicament.