Following Real Madrid’s defeat to Manchester City, calls for patience surrounding Xabi Alonso have gained support from within the club’s former players.
One of the strongest voices defending the manager has been former Los Blancos defender Jonathan Woodgate, who used his platform on the BBC (h/t SPORT) to urge the club to avoid making a rash decision regarding Alonso’s future.
Woodgate, who spent a short and turbulent spell at the Bernabeu during his playing career, insisted that Real Madrid must stand by their young coach.
“I hope Xabi Alonso stays in his position. It makes no sense to hire a young coach and give him only six months at the biggest club in the world.
“No sense at all. You have to stick with Xabi. You brought him in from Bayer Leverkusen, where he did a great job.
“If you fire him, it will be a terrible decision. You have to give him time.”
The loss to Manchester City, coming immediately after a disappointing league defeat to Celta Vigo, has intensified scrutiny around Alonso, but Woodgate argued strongly that long-term development should outweigh short-term pressure.
More support for Alonso
Federico Valverde, Real Madrid player
Real Madrid lost to Man City yesterday. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Interestingly, Woodgate was not alone in this stance. Another former Real Madrid player, Steve McManaman, also came to Alonso’s defence.
While analysing the match, McManaman highlighted the positives in Madrid’s performance and suggested that the display, despite ending in defeat, should help alleviate the tension surrounding the team.
To frame his assessment, he remarked that Real Madrid’s effort against City should be “enough to calm things down.”
By receiving public backing from former players familiar with the pressures of the Bernabeu, Alonso may find much-needed support as he works to steer the squad out of its rough patch.
With influential voices now calling for patience, the message emerging from outside the dressing room is that Real Madrid must think long-term if they want Alonso’s project to reach its full potential.