On paper, from a purely accounting and statistical point of view, Real Madrid is having a good season. The Merengues are at the top of La Liga, 5 points ahead of FC Barcelona, and are also well positioned in the Champions League, with seventh place. But the sensations left by Xabi Alonso’s team are not entirely positive. Facing Liverpool in the middle of the week, for what was only the second defeat of the season, the Merengues further worried Madrid public opinion, disappointed by the game offered by their players.
A trend already in place even during the matches that the team wins, and the playing promises made by Xabi Alonso upon his arrival are not completely respected. At the same time, the local press also mentions friction in the locker room between certain executives and the former midfielder, whose human management is somewhat criticized internally. The Vinicius Jr affair also caused a lot of talk.
Alonso, very worried
And the Spanish press evokes a very worried Xabi Alonso. Overall, she believes that the coach, cheerful and enthusiastic when he arrived, now shows a different face. At a press conference, he is content with short and cold answers, clearly showing that he is not comfortable. A change of attitude clearly underlined by the Cadena SER and the journalist Tomas Roncero for example.
An observation shared by other media, which reflects a somewhat complicated situation to manage internally. In addition to ego problems in the locker room, Alonso also has purely sporting problems, especially in midfield, where he doesn’t really know who to use in big matches so as not to be dominated. The match against Rayo Vallecano this afternoon (4:15 p.m.) can be an opportunity to test new schemes and new compositions, but also and above all to dispel doubts a little after the defeat at Anfield…
