Barely six months into his Real Madrid reign and Xabi Alonso is quickly finding out that heavy is the head that wears the crown at Santiago Bernabeu.
After making nigh on 250 appearances in Real's midfield during his playing career, Alonso took over as coach back in May, fully aware of the unique pressures he would face being in charge of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“This is a very special day for me,” he said at his unveiling. “A day that I will have marked in my calendar for life. I am very happy to be here, in what I feel is my home … I have the feeling that this is the beginning of a new era.”
But the new era has not gone according to plan so far with Alonso's position already under threat as he struggles to deal with player tantrums, criticism of his tactics, a nightmare injury list and a string of poor results.
On Sunday, Real were beaten at home for the first time this season, a humiliating 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo that saw Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras sent off, while unused substitute Endrick was also shown a red card as Madrid imploded in spectacular fashion.
It was Celta's first win at the Bernabeu since May 2014, leaving Real four points behind leaders Barcelona after securing just one victory in five La Liga matches.
Real Madrid 0 Celta Vigo 2 – in pictures
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Vinicius Junior shows his frustration during Real Madrid's 2-0 La Liga loss at home to Celta Vigo. Reuters -
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois watches Williot Swedberg's finish to put Celta Vigo 1-0 up hit the back of the net. EPA -
Referee Alejandro Quintero shows Alvaro Carreras of Real Madrid a red card. Getty Images -
Frustrated Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia. AFP -
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, left, and Vinicius Junior during the loss to Celta Vigo. AP -
Celta Vigo players celebrate winning at Real Madrid for the first time since 2014. EPA -
Blood runs down the face of Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham. AFP -
Referee Alejandro Quintero shows a red card to Real Madrid's Fran Garcia. Getty Images -
Real Madrid attacker Kylian Mbappe failed to add to his 16 La Liga goals. AP -
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso checks on Eder Militao who picked up an injury that will rule him out for three months. AP
“We are all angry, evidently this was not the game we wanted, it was not the result we wanted,” Alonso said after the match.
“We need to turn the page as quickly as possible. There's a long way to go in La Liga and we have the Champions League game against [Manchester] City [on Wednesday] to react, and get rid of this bad taste out of our mouths.”
Even before the Celta loss, Alonso revealed that he had held “very positive” talks with club president Florentino Perez about their dip in form. “We're struggling, that's the reality,” said the former Bayer Leverkusen coach. “We need unity. That's what we're focused on.”
Injuries have certainly not helped Alonso's cause – particularly in defence – with the Spaniard forced to name 20 different line-ups in 21 matches due to absentees.
Fragile defender Eder Militao is back among the walking wounded with the Brazilian set to be sidelined for three months due to a hamstring injury, while summer signing Trent Alexander-Arnold's stalled start in the Spanish capital goes on after the full-back was ruled out for two months with a thigh problem.
Right-back Dani Carvajal underwent knee surgery in October and will not return until next year. The same for left-back Ferland Mendy. Centre-back David Alaba is also out with a calf problem.
On the pitch, September's 5-2 derby thrashing by Atletico Madrid had brought the manager's honeymoon period in charge to a juddering halt, while Alonso has also had to deal with attacker Vinicius Junior's public displays of frustration at being substituted in the win over Barca.
Up front, Kylian Mbappe is enjoying a prolific run of 16 goals in 16 La Liga games, but Real have become reliant on the Frenchman with Vinicius the next best with five, with Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler both notching three. Rodrygo last found the back of the net in La Liga in January.
“This is a team, this is a club, and we're all united,” insisted Alonso on Tuesday. “When you're the Real Madrid coach, you have to be prepared to face these situations calmly, with unity, and with the responsibility that I feel, and I’m looking forward for what’s to come and that starts tomorrow.
“We know we can turn this around. From the anger that was there, which was normal, to the excitement that's being generated thinking about tomorrow.
“We're focused solely on City and the Champions League, and this can change quickly. Fortunately, in football, for better or for worse, the vision, the perspective, can shift quickly, and we're at that moment.”
When asked whether he still had the backing of the club's board, Alonso responded: "Communication is constant, it's based on trust, unity, and affection; we're all in this together, and yes, it's constant.
“We are all in this together. We have to get through this, in the good times and the not-so-good times, without wavering.”
On Wednesday, Alonso will go head-to-head with Pep Guardiola for the first time as a coach, as Real look to maintain their positive start to the Champions League campaign that has seen them win four out of five matches.
Alonso played under Guardiola at Bayern Munich when the pair would help the German giants win back-to-back Bundesliga titles. “I was 32, I already had a lot of career under my belt, but in two or three years, I learnt so, so much,” Alonso said recently of his old mentor.
“In terms of understanding the game – understanding, explaining and anticipating it – Pep was ahead of his time, and, in my opinion, he still is.”
City are currently second in the Premier League with their weekend win over Sunderland cutting the gap on leaders Arsenal down to two points, while Erling Haaland is matching Mbappe's goal-a-game record with 15 in 15 matches.
“We're mentally prepared to face everything that comes our way,” said Alonso. “At this moment, everyone is convinced that we can win tomorrow, there's no doubt. Nobody has any doubts.
“But for that, we have to play a good game, we have to play with good rhythm, with good intensity.”
