Xabi Alonso must be feeling like everyday is groundhog day at Real Madrid with his job constantly thought to be at risk. That was seemingly the case when Los Blancos travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Supercopa de Espana finals.
First up for Los Blancos was the Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid and reports ahead of that game suggested Alonso needed his side to win or impress to stay in charge. He oversaw a 2-1 win over Diego Simeone's Atleti, alleviating some of the pressure that had been growing.
But he was unable to guide his troops to the Supercopa trophy last night after they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the final. There was fighting spirit on show but the Catalans were the better side in Jeddah.
Florentino Perez makes Alonso decision
Florentino Perez, Joan Laporta
FC Barcelona v Real Madrid: Spanish Super Cup | NurPhoto/GettyImages
Alonso shook hands with Florentino Perez as he walked with his players to pick up his runners-up medal. He wore a face of disappointment, perhaps envisioning speculation over his future would be on the back of every Spanish newspaper on Monday morning.
But Perez downplayed any rumors that Madrid were considering dismissing the Spanish tactician. He is claimed to have assured senior officials at the club, "He's going to stay and he's going to help us win titles", per Defensa Central.
This will come as a massive relief for Alonso, who can focus on turning his side's season back around. The focus now is on the La Liga title race, the Champions League and Copa del Rey.
Madrid trail Barca by four points after 19 games in the battle for the Spanish top-flight title. But this isn't Alonso's only chance of ending the season with a trophy to back up Perez's stance over his future.
Los Blancos face Albacete in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday (January 14th). This is the perfect opportunity for his men to put the Barca defeat behind them with a positive response and victory over the Segunda Division minnows.
Alonso deserves to be backed
Xabi Alonso, Kylian Mbappe
Athletic Club v Real Madrid CF - LaLiga EA Sports | NurPhoto/GettyImages
Alonso only arrived at the Estadio Bernabeu in June, replacing Carlo Ancelotti which was already a tall order for the Spaniard. This is the start of a new era and as such a period of transition often results in setbacks as the new management team looks to put their plans in place.
While some of the team's performances and results have been cause for concern there are still positives and glimpses of a bright future under Alonso. He is getting the best out of Kylian Mbappe who is in red-hot form having bagged 29 goals in 25 games across competitions.
Alonso has also dealt well with constant rumors over clashes with his players including Vinicius Junior. He backed the Brazilian to bounce back from a difficult spell and that resulted in the best goal of the night in the Supercopa final defeat to Barca.
The Spaniard showed the world just how talented a coach he is during his time at Bayer Leverkusen. He ended Bayern Munich's stranglehold on the Bundesliga title and did so with an unbeaten season.
There is evidence that Alonso can be a success at the Bernabeu but he needs to have the backing of those upstairs. This includes in the transfer window having asked for a new creative midfielder last summer and not being handed one.
This summer could be crucial for Alonso to further implement his ideas and brand of football. The higher-ups can show they are supporting him by working alongside him to try and rebuild this Madrid team.