Xabi Alonso's first crisis: paralysis on the field and measured doubts at the club

Real Madrid leads La Liga, and Xabi Alonso has arrived to be the leader of Real Madrid—the leader of the team's play, that is, not necessarily the overall leader. The first crisis for the Whites—because that's how a run of two games without a win is described at the Bernabéu—isn't so much about the league leaders who still top the table, but rather about the leader their manager aspires to be. Real Madrid's lackluster performances at Anfield and Vallecas point to a rapid decline in the form of the team that so strongly threatened to overtake Barcelona in Spanish football after dominating the Clásico.

Xabi Alonso's reaction, beyond his restrained words and calls for "restraint," wasn't enough, as if he didn't have a plan B, as if the paralysis had also affected the bench. Liverpool and Rayo Vallecano weren't hosting Real Madrid in their best form. Inconsistent in the Premier League, Rayo had just celebrated a comeback victory against Lech Poznan, but their last league result had been a 0-4 defeat against Villarreal at the same venue.

Either result, defeat or draw, would have been understandable on its own, regardless of the opponent's level in the case of the English side, or Real Madrid's history at Vallecas, where Barça also drew this season. However, the two consecutive results create a trend, and a bad one for Xabi Alonso.

injuries and changes

Forced to make changes due to Tchouaméni 's injury, who had become the focal point of the positional play the Tolosa native desired, Xabi Alonso moved Güler back in Vallecas. The player with the best vision for the final pass was too far from the opposition's goal, a fact that also disrupted the Turk's exceptional connection with Mbappé .

The French striker was virtually absent, so much so that he only touched the ball 11 times in the first half against Rayo Vallecano. His performance was no different from his match at Anfield, where he was virtually invisible. It's no coincidence that Real Madrid failed to score a single goal in those two matches, given that Mbappé has scored 52% of the team's goals this season: 13 of 26 in La Liga (exactly half) and six of eight in the Champions League. Playing as a number 9, we're talking about a finisher who is certainly suffering from his team's poor form, but who in the last two matches has appeared disconnected, lacking the necessary drive to create chances out of thin air, as is expected of a player of his caliber. With his ups and downs, that's what Vinicius does.

The Brazilian and the coach considered the Clásico episode closed, although the doubts raised by his statement, without explicitly mentioning the manager, remain. This creates a dangerous breeding ground if doubts about his work take root in the locker room. Vini, his entourage, and a good part of the club haven't understood some of his substitutions and benchings. Ultimately, it's the loss of his status as a guaranteed starter . Valverde feels the same way, currently stuck at right-back, with Carvajal injured and Trent on the bench.

Despite watching a Real Madrid side lacking goals and with a frustrated Mbappé, Xabi Alonso didn't use Gonzalo , his great discovery at the Club World Cup, where he showed courage against the established hierarchy, despite the Frenchman's injury. Endrick , meanwhile, seems forgotten, awaiting a loan move. Furthermore, in attack, the manager still hasn't clearly defined the right wing position, where his preferred choice is Mastantuono , who is injured. Brahim appeared in Vallecas, and then Rodrygo . Neither worked. It's not just a matter of choosing players, but also of the system itself.

Huijsen Descent

The inclusion of Camavinga in midfield, switching from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2, worked against Barça, but not at Anfield. In Vallecas, the Frenchman replaced his compatriot Tchouaméni, but Xabi Alonso ended up calling on Ceballos , as Rayo's resurgence could have led to something worse. The same happened with Militao , who started on the bench to give Asensio playing time and had to come on due to Huijsen 's yellow card and shaky performance. The center-back's form has dipped since his commanding start.

Order, meritocracy, and intense pressing were constants that Real Madrid displayed at the Club World Cup, despite losing to a much stronger PSG side, and began to consolidate at the start of the season. Everything was progressing well in the search for a dominant team, one that presses high up the pitch and controls the game through positioning, with its center-backs pushing forward, as Xabi Alonso prefers. A new Real Madrid, in short. However, the abrupt lapses in concentration at the Metropolitano, Anfield, and Vallecas, with the Clásico break in between, have raised doubts that are reaching the club's top brass, albeit with restraint, as Xabi Alonso has requested. He faces two long weeks due to the international break, followed by three away matches: Elche, Girona, and Olympiacos. After that, it will be the turn of Guardiola 's revitalized Manchester City at the Bernabéu. Another giant. Another test.