Thierry Henry torches ‘ludicrous’ Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid sack claims but ‘bad news’ could still happen | OneFootball

Thierry Henry has urged Real Madrid to keep faith with Xabi Alonso, claiming it’s ‘ludicrous’ that the Bernabeu boss finds himself under pressure so early in his reign, although ‘bad things’ can still happen given the circus that surrounds LaLiga’s biggest clubs.

Alonso returned to the Bernabeu in the summer to great fanfare, having spent five years there as a player between 2009-14, and arrived off the back of guiding Bayer Leverkusen to an unprecedented unbeaten domestic double in 2024.

However, after a strong start at Real Madrid, things have taken a real downturn for Alonso, with Real winning two of their last eight matches in all competitions.

Los Blancos now sit four points adrift of bitter rivals Barcelona at the top of LaLiga, while a 2-1 home defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday night only added to the pressure Alonso is now under.

Speaking after the City loss, Alonso said he had ‘no complaints’ about the ‘professionalism’ of the squad, while top Bernabeu stars, including Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Thibaut Courtois all came out in support of their coach after the game.

It’s also been reported by Marca that the club’s hierarchy are not ready to swing the axe just yet, which is the right decision according to former Barcelona forward Henry.

“I don’t know what the board wants to do or not,” Henry said on CBS Sports when asked about the speculation surrounding Alonso.

“I find it always ludicrous that a manager can be in trouble after being six months in the job. I don’t personally agree with that.

“But you also know at a club at the level of Real Madrid or Barcelona or whatever, you can wake up and hear some bad news because things might change.”

Henry calls for Real patience with Alonso

Henry also admits that he ‘doesn’t personally agree’ with the trigger-happy nature of the modern game when it comes to managers and hopes Madrid remain patient with Alonso.

“I don’t think that they should question the coach,” he added. “If you have a coach in position, then you should try to see what he can do.

“But you heard Guillem [Balague], you heard the president, you heard everybody, you heard Gareth Bale saying that when you’re there, you need to manage a bit more than coaching.

“So I don’t personally agree with it, but that’s the way it is.”

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Elsewhere, Anfield legend Steven Gerrard has given his verdict on the performance of Liverpool target Rodrygo for Real Madrid in the Champions League game against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, with the local media also raving about the Brazil international winger.

Finally, Real Madrid are facing a problem in their pursuit of Micky van de Ven, with sources revealing to TEAMtalk Tottenham Hotspur’s firm stance on the defender, who has been backed to star for Liverpool and become a regular under Arne Slot if he made the move to Anfield.