Real Madrid remain in an excellent position with a relatively smooth start to the season, winning 13 of their 15 matches under Xabi Alonso. However rumblings of discontent from within the dressing room continue to emerge from the Bernabeu.
It was notable that even beyond Vinicius Junior’s outburst during El Clasico, a report emerged expressing the frustrations of several dressing room heavyweights with Alonso. ‘He thinks he’s Guardiola’ was the headline from that piece, and since another report has claimed that Vinicius is unimpressed with Alonso’s tactical approach.
Real Madrid players believe Xabi Alonso is ‘overly cold’
Yet the malcontent is not limited to just the Brazilian, whose frustrations are public and well-documented. El Chiringuito explain that some of the dressing room, beyond Vinicius, feel that Alonso is excessively cold with the players, and ‘does not understand them’.
Players unhappy with Trent Alexander-Arnold change
The latest incident that raised eyebrows among the Real Madrid players was his substitution of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Liverpool player saw his mural on Merseyside defaced before the game against the Reds, and was booed in the warm-up at Anfield. Alonso decided to bring him on for the final nine minutes of the match as Los Blancos searched for the equaliser, his first appearance after six weeks out of action, in which his every touch was booed again.
Image via ADAM VAUGHAN / EFE
Some of his teammates have reportedly commented that they did not understand putting him on for the final minutes, and exposing him to the reaction of the Liverpool fans, feeling that if he was to come on, it should be for meaningful game time.
Real Madrid stars struggling with change from Carlo Ancelotti
The warmth of Carlo Ancelotti in the cold Madrid air appears to be missed in the dressing room, and El Chiringuito note that all of the players were behind the Italian, but that they did not have the same impression under Alonso. The lack of a personable side to Alonso was also commented on after El Clasico.
The club were certainly keen to bring in more discipline after the Ancelotti era, and were happy to have that as part of the Alonso package when he arrived. However the change certainly seems to be a difficult adjustment for some.
