Doubts creeping in about Real Madrid coach following latest defeat to Osasuna | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s painful defeat at El Sadar has set off alarm bells in the Spanish capital, as the club now once again run the risk of relinquishing their top spot to Barcelona.

Alvaro Arbeloa, initially brought in to rescue the team’s turbulent season, is now heavily under the microscope as serious doubts emerge from both the dressing room and Florentino Perez’s boardroom, reports Diario SPORT.

A string of unconvincing performances

Arbeloa’s tenure has been plagued by inconsistency from the very beginning. The team was humiliatingly knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Albacete following a highly risky rotation policy that backfired.

The lack of a clear, dominant playing identity has already led to audible whistles from the demanding Santiago Bernabeu crowd.

Arbeloa is under serious pressure. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

The recent 2-1 loss to Osasuna has only intensified this scrutiny, breaking his unbeaten league streak and exposing the team’s underlying vulnerabilities.

Tactical concerns and player appeasement

While Arbeloa deserves credit for revitalising Vinícius Jr, the team’s overall dynamic remains heavily flawed.

Real Madrid’s recent victories have relied almost entirely on the individual brilliance of Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe, and Thibaut Courtois, rather than a cohesive tactical system.

Furthermore, the players are reportedly beginning to question Arbeloa’s management. His in-game substitutions have been described as inexplicable and decisions seemingly made to appease specific egos.

Crucially, Arbeloa, who apologised to Florentino Perez after the Osasuna defeat, has yet to successfully mount a comeback in any match where his side has conceded the first goal.

The tension is expected to reach a boiling point ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League second-leg clash against SL Benfica.

Although Madrid holds a narrow 1-0 aggregate lead, the fear of an unexpected European elimination looms large.