Five players are reportedly not best pleased with Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso, despite the Basque guiding Los Blancos to the summit of La Liga after 12 games.
As starts go, Alonso’s first four months at Real Madrid have gone fairly well, with the 15-time European champions winning 10, drawing one, and losing just one of their 12 La Liga games.
Meanwhile, in the Champions League, Real have won three of their four matches, sustaining a 1-0 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield last week.
Despite Real sitting top of La Liga with a cushion of three points to Barcelona, who they beat 2-1 in late October, not all is well at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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On Sunday, Real dropped points away against city rivals Rayo Vallecano. Alonso watched on as his side drew 0-0 in Vallecas.
Despite Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior being among the starting XI, Real were held by the 12th-placed side.
After the match, Alonso urged his side to “keep growing, improving and engaging in positive self-reflection” before going on to admit that his side “struggled” to implement their game plan due to Rayo’s work rate out of possession.
"We were ready for a demanding game," Alonso said in his post-match news conference.
"It's always been hard for us [in Vallecas]. Rayo ask a lot of you. They take you to a place where the games have a frenetic rhythm."
Since then, Spain’s, at times, ruthless newspapers have offered their thoughts on Real’s lacklustre performance, with Mundo Deportivo claiming that the “dressing room shows little to no connection” with Alonso despite their healthy league position.
Journalist Mario Calderon wrote: “It was clear that several players, such as Vinicius, Bellingham, and [Thibaut] Courtois, weren't entirely happy with the coach's decisions regarding playing the ball out from the back. Others, like Fede Valverde and [Eduardo] Camavinga, who haven't secured a regular starting spot and move around to different positions, also seem disconnected from Xabi Alonso.”
Calderon then claimed that the supposed problem is related to the change in training methods since Alonso’s arrival.
Previous boss Carlo Ancelotti was seemingly not as demanding with regards to tactics, while Alonso is “controlling everything” using an array of methods, including video analysis, drones, and in-depth tactical work.
Meanwhile, club president Florentino Perez remains confident in Alonso despite the reports.
Real Madrid will return to La Liga action after the international break with a trip to Elche.
Topics: Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso, La Liga, Football, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior
Luke Davies