Look, it's pretty impossible to be anti-Xabi Alonso right now. If you're anti-Alonso, you probably are not a Real Madrid fan.
The club legend has come in and immediately gotten Real Madrid back on the straight and narrow again. Sure, they messed up badly in the Madrid derby, but other than that, Los Blancos have been pretty flawless.
Key performances from the ever-present Kylian Mbappé have been nothing surprising. He's been joined in the Real Madrid pecking order by Arda Güler and Éder Militão, both being the best in their respective departments.
However, the time for new heroes inevitably comes at a cost. And while it is impossible to argue against the fine start Alonso has made, nobody can deny that there is a brewing nightmare that he must maintain.
Xabi Alonso is not the most popular at Real Madrid
According to a report in The Athletic by Mario Cortegana, Xabi Alonso is still not the most popular figure at Real Madrid. While nobody denies his revolution has worked well so far, there remains a rift at the club, many senior figures at the club feel disrespected and dissatisfied by Xabi Alonso's regime.
And when we talk about regime, we aren't using that term loosely anymore. It's not some cliche that when a manager comes in, they change things. Alonso has literally changed the very core of Real Madrid, and some players do not like that.
Cortegana reveals that Xabi Alonso has demanded 100% punctuality and work rate. There have been no fines for going against this rule change, but despite the rule following, it's not a regime that everybody likes.
And look, we saw a glimpse of this in the recent win against Barcelona. That is Real Madrid's highest stakes fixture, and if emotions were ever going to boil ever, it was bound to be in that one.
Vini Jr was subbed off at a time that he deemed premature. He made that known, flailing his arms in the air and walking straight down the tunnel.
Alonso has already addressed this reaction, so we won't run it to the ground. However, we can hazard a pretty good guess that this new regime has impacted Vini Jr the most out of any player.
And the warning signs were always there. Even before Alonso managed a domestic game, he had called meetings with Vini Jr for the Brazilian to lead the charge.
So far, it is evident that Alonso doesn't see the Brazilian as a player fit enough to lead the charge. This is despite his obvious talent and technical ability. If Vini isn't prepared to run harder than anyone challenging for his position, then he will be replaced.
So, how long before it all comes crashing down? We obviously hope that it doesn't, but we can't ignore that Alonso is flirting with danger right now.
There is every likelihood that players will, even if one by one, begin to revolt against the regime they don't like. Expect to see star players leaving in January, perhaps even more than Real Madrid fans would like.
If there's silverware at the end of it all, it doesn't really matter who lifts it.