Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso plays down sack rumours

Real Madrid’s performances lately have been quite questionable, with manager Xabi Alonso at the centre of it all, after winning just two out of their last eight games, with three draws in the process.

Los Blancos performance has been underwhelming and inconsistent, placing much scrutiny on the Spanish manager’s short tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the former Bayer Leverkusen boss would rather stay positive, as he continues to manage his side with optimism in his first season in the dugout for the 15-time Champions League winners.

Notwithstanding, the pressure keeps mounting, especially after recent altercations with superstar Vinicius Jr., a situation that has quickly been put to bed by all parties at the club.

The 44-year-old manager has insisted, following Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League at the Bernabéu, that he’s not contemplating the sack after the pressure on his position at Madrid was mentioned.

That was Madrid making it back-to-back defeats at the Bernabeu, including the weekend’s surprise 2-0 to Celta Vigo in the Spanish La Liga. It was the first time in history that Celta Vigo secured a win at the Bernabéu, with a margin that surpassed previous bests for visiting teams.

Alonso said post-match: “I’m focused on the next game. The important thing here is Real Madrid.

“It’s the team, the players and how I can help them. It’s not about me.”

The performance has not been great. By their own standards, it has been underwhelming. This has placed immense pressure on Alonso to deliver immediate results.

Alonso’s side are four points behind reigning La Liga champions Barcelona, going into the weekend’s tricky but must-win away encounter against Alaves, who are languishing at 11th position.

He is expected to turn things around quickly to shake some of the burden off his shoulders by getting back to winning ways. Not just that, but playing the way he started with the team.