Alonso Walking a Precarious Tightrope at the Bernabéu Amidst Squad Endorsement.

No attacker in Real Madrid’s record books had gone failing to find the net for as such a duration as Rodrygo, but finally he was unleashed and he had a message to send, acted out for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in an extended drought and was commencing only his fifth appearance this season, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the opening goal against Manchester City. Then he wheeled and ran towards the sideline to hug Xabi Alonso, the coach on the edge for whom this could represent an more significant liberation.

“It’s a tough moment for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Results aren't working out and I wanted to show everyone that we are together with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the lead had been lost, a setback taking its place. City had turned it around, going 2-1 ahead with “very little”, Alonso remarked. That can occur when you’re in a “sensitive” condition, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not pull off a comeback. Endrick, on as a substitute having played 11 minutes all season, hit the woodwork in the dying moments.

A Delayed Judgment

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo conceded. The dilemma was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to hold onto his job. “That wasn't our perception [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “We demonstrated that we’re supporting the coach: we have performed creditably, provided 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the final decision was postponed, sentencing pending, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A More Credible Type of Defeat

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second time in four days, perpetuating their poor form to two wins in eight, but this felt a more respectable. This was a European powerhouse, rather than a La Liga opponent. Stripped down, they had actually run, the easiest and most critical accusation not levelled at them in this instance. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a spot-kick, almost salvaging something at the final whistle. There were “many of very good things” about this display, the boss argued, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, tonight.

The Stadium's Muted Reception

That was not entirely the case. There were moments in the second half, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the conclusion, a portion of supporters had continued, although there was also pockets of appreciation. But for the most part, there was a subdued stream to the exits. “It's to be expected, we understand it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso remarked: “This is nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were instances when they clapped too.”

Dressing Room Backing Is Strong

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

The longevity of a solution that is continues to be an matter of debate. One seemingly minor incident in the after-game press conference seemed notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to do things his way, Alonso had let that implication to linger, answering: “I have a good relationship with Pep, we understand each other well and he knows what he is saying.”

A Foundation of Reaction

Most importantly though, he could be pleased that there was a resistance, a pushback. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they defended him. This support may have been for show, done out of duty or self-preservation, but in this climate, it was significant. The effort with which they played had been as well – even if there is a temptation of the most fundamental of standards somehow being elevated as a type of success.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a plan, that their failings were not his fault. “In my view my teammate Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The sole solution is [for] the players to change the attitude. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have observed a difference.”

Jude Bellingham, questioned if they were behind the coach, also answered with a figure: “100%.”

“We persist in trying to solve it in the locker room,” he said. “It's clear that the [outside] noise will not be helpful so it is about trying to resolve it in there.”

“Personally, I feel the gaffer has been great. I individually have a excellent rapport with him,” Bellingham added. “After the sequence of games where we tied a few, we had some really great conversations among ourselves.”

“All things ends in the end,” Alonso mused, perhaps referring as much about adversity as everything.