Xabi Alonso was only appointed as the Real Madrid manager at the end of last season. His appointment felt like a long time coming, after Carlo Ancelotti had a woeful final season in the footballing capital.
His successor and club legend, Xabi Alonso, hasn't had the fairytale return to Madrid that he would have expected. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss has been hit with injury after injury, as well as losing the dressing room with his harsh culture shift.
Many would argue that a culture change was needed after last season, but it seems like the players were too comfortable with their old ways of life. Now, several key Real Madrid players are reported to be unhappy with the way Xabi Alonso has come in and reordered things.
Xabi Alonso is walking a thin tightrope at Real Madrid
According to The Athletic journalist Mario Cortegana, Real Madrid is concerned with the disconnect between Xabi Alonso and some Real Madrid players. The club does not solely blame Xabi Alonso, but they are, of course, unhappy with some of the recent performances.
Unfortunately for managers, they are at the forefront of blame whenever something goes wrong. Oftentimes, the quickest and easiest thing to change is the head coach, and Xabi Alonso might learn that the hard way.
Little is reported about Xabi Alonso being sacked, other than journalists asking him ridiculous questions about that likelihood to his face. So, that's important context to remember.
However, with Real Madrid, there is only so much mediocrity the club can withstand. If the club begins to feel like there is no positive outcome of keeping Xabi Alonso, it seems inevitable that they will part ways with him.
Right now, the managerial market isn't flooded with premium options. Real Madrid is well-connected, though, and they do have the best pull factor of any team in the world.
Despite all the pressure, there are managers out there who would leave their current positions in a heartbeat just to become Real Madrid's next manager. So, the next month or so will be of utmost importance for Xabi Alonso.