Manager Alonso Walking a Fine Path at the Bernabéu Even With Squad Endorsement.

No forward in Los Blancos' history had endured without a goal for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was unleashed and he had a declaration to deliver, acted out for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in almost a year and was commencing only his fifth game this term, beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the opening goal against Manchester City. Then he turned and charged towards the sideline to greet Xabi Alonso, the manager under pressure for whom this could prove an more significant release.

“It’s a challenging time for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Performances aren't working out and I wanted to prove people that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the lead had been surrendered, a setback taking its place. City had reversed the score, taking 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso remarked. That can transpire when you’re in a “fragile” condition, he added, but at least Madrid had reacted. Ultimately, they could not complete a comeback. Endrick, on as a substitute having played a handful of minutes all season, rattled the crossbar in the dying moments.

A Suspended Judgment

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo said. The question was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to hold onto his position. “That wasn't our perception [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 demonstrated that we’re with the manager: we have performed creditably, offered 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so judgment was withheld, consequences pending, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Distinct Type of Loss

Madrid had been overcome at home for the second occasion in four days, continuing their poor form to a mere pair of successes in eight, but this was a more respectable. This was a European powerhouse, rather than a lesser opponent. Streamlined, they had competed with intensity, the easiest and most critical accusation not levelled at them in this instance. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a penalty, coming close to securing something at the death. There were “many of very good things” about this performance, the manager stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, not this time.

The Bernabéu's Muted Response

That was not completely the complete picture. There were spells in the second half, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At the final whistle, a portion of supporters had repeated that, although there was likewise pockets of appreciation. But mostly, there was a muted stream to the subway. “That’s normal, we understand it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso remarked: “It’s nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were times when they applauded too.”

Player Backing Stands Firm

“I feel the support of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he supported them, they stood by him too, at least in front of the public. There has been a rapprochement, discussions: the coach had listened to them, arguably more than they had embraced him, reaching common ground not precisely in the middle.

How lasting a remedy that is continues to be an open question. One small moment in the post-match press conference seemed telling. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that idea to remain unanswered, responding: “I have a good relationship with Pep, we understand each other well and he knows what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Reaction

Most importantly though, he could be satisfied that there was a spirit, a pushback. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they publicly backed him. Some of this 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 equally so – even if there is a danger of the most fundamental of requirements somehow being framed as a form of positive.

The previous day, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a plan, 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 sole solution is [for] the players to improve 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 replied in numbers: “100%.”

“We’re still attempting to work it out in the locker room,” he said. “We know that the [outside] speculation will not be helpful so it is about trying to sort it out in there.”

“In my opinion the gaffer has been great. I personally have a great rapport with him,” Bellingham concluded. “After the sequence of games where we tied a few, we had some honest conversations internally.”

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