Alonso on the edge of Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso is at great risk of being sacked.

A 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo was met with boos, head shakes and a closed-door meeting of Real’s board at the Bernabéu. The question was no longer “Is Alonso in trouble?” but “How much time does he have left?”

Real Madrid are four points behind Barcelona, have won just one of their last five La Liga games and have lost all the momentum they had after beating Barcelona in October. From a dream run of 13 wins in 14 games, Real Madrid have now returned to the erratic form that has always been the bane of every coach at the Bernabeu. And there, doubt is rife.

The first bumps of change

When Alonso arrived at Real Madrid, he brought with him a modern philosophy of high-intensity pressing, rhythmic attacking, what he called “rock and roll”. But Real Madrid are a special entity. They want to win, but they don’t always want to change.

President Florentino Perez has been tempted to hire “innovative” coaches like Rafael Benitez or Julen Lopetegui. However, whenever the team loses its rhythm, he always reverts to the safe model: a less interventionist coach, like Carlo Ancelotti or Zinedine Zidane.

Alonso is facing that same cycle. When things were going well, when Real Madrid were winning in style and by scores, he had the full support of the public. But after the defeat to Liverpool, and two dull draws with Rayo and Elche, Real began to send out the familiar signals: internal leaks, complaints that the workload was too much, players being turned into robots.

It was the first clash between the new idea and the strong ego of the Real dressing room.

Personnel management is the most difficult problem at Real Madrid.

Ancelotti once warned Alonso that Real Madrid would be the most difficult dressing room of his career. Not because the players were “the problem”, but because everyone had their own goals. Mbappe was thinking about records. Vinicius was afraid of losing his position. Valverde wanted to return to central midfield. Jude Bellingham was excellent as a striker, but he felt awkward dropping back, despite his willingness to run.

Alonso wanted Martin Zubimendi to organize the play, but he was not satisfied. He was forced to build a positional play with players accustomed to quick transitions. That was a difficult problem.

More seriously, the relationship between the coach and Vinicius broke down after El Clasico, when the Brazilian striker showed his attitude when being substituted. The subsequent apology “forgot” to mention Alonso, and Real did not protect the coach. At the Bernabeu, without the support of the club, the coach's power began to waver.

Gaps on the pitch and in confidence

The defeat to Celta Vigo revealed a harsh truth: the players did not execute what they had prepared. Alonso said the team needed to push the tempo, press harder, but no one followed. This was the warning Ancelotti used to give: “Some things you prepare during the week, then disappear on the pitch.”

The atmosphere in the dressing room after that defeat was chaotic. There were screams. Objects were thrown. Attempts to blame the referee were immediately dismissed. Real players did not believe in the plan, or not enough to see it through.

Meanwhile, Real’s attack has become a one-way problem: “If Mbappe doesn’t score, no one else will.” Vini has gone 11 games without a goal, Rodrygo has gone 33 games without a goal. Although Mbappe has scored 25 times in 21 games, that dependence is enough to stifle any tactical ideas.

In defence, injuries have continued to decimate the structure Alonso has worked so hard to build. 20 starting XIs in 21 games are evidence of a season stretched to the limit. Militao has just joined the long-term list of 3-4 months out.

Real Madrid's defense is in disarray.

The Spanish media are all reporting that Alonso’s future is in jeopardy. When the entire press gets the same message, it means it’s coming from the top of Real Madrid, and it also reflects the dwindling support in the dressing room.

However, Alonso still believed he could turn things around. He realized he had to be “softer” with the players, to conciliate, to soothe, to compromise. But each time he gave in, a layer of philosophy was peeled away, and the team moved further away from the version he wanted to build.

Worse, the fans, who had been more patient than Perez, were beginning to turn away. They saw no pressing effort, no spirit. They saw a Real Madrid no longer sure it was on the right track.

The Champions League clash with Manchester City in the League Phase now becomes a matter of life and death. A win will not only save Alonso, but also his footballing ideal. A defeat could close the door he risked leaving Bayer Leverkusen to enter.

If Alonso leaves, Real Madrid will likely call on a familiar name: Zidane. Or a younger option, Alvaro Arbeloa.

Alonso knows this well. In Madrid, you can go from heaven to hell in a week. But that is also why it sometimes gives you the chance to write the extraordinary.

This Wednesday, Alonso will have to fight to keep it, perhaps for the last time.

Source: https://znews.vn/alonso-tren-mep-vuc-real-madrid-post1609672.html