By OkayGoal 
Real Madrid had the best man for the job in Xabi Alonso but are now struggling to find a suitable replacement
When Real Madrid started the season with Xabi Alonso – the most highly coveted young coach in world football – at the helm, few would have anticipated heading into April with the very realistic prospect of a trophyless campaign.
Alonso’s arrival at Madrid was hurried, ushered in before he wanted due to the Club World Cup in the United States. A run to the semi-finals was seen as about par, with even the 4-0 hammering by Paris Saint-Germain in the last four seen as a reminder that the squad was short in key areas rather than any slight on their new boss.
Limited time on the training ground prior to the season starting in August did not seem to hamper Alonso’s Madrid, who started with 13 wins from 14 games in all competitions.
Clasico defeat and row with Vinicius Jr complicated matters
Strangely, it was the penultimate victory in that sequence that marked the beginning of the end, a show of petulance from Vinicius Jr towards Alonso after being brought off in the 2-1 Clasico triumph over Barcelona leading to fevered speculation that all was not well behind the scenes.
At a club like Madrid, and the ceaseless scrutiny that accompanies it, it is very difficult to focus on the truth when the rumours start flying.
Vinicius Jr’s statement in which he apologised to everyone, apart from Alonso, merely heightened speculation that the influential figures in the dressing room were not onside.
A win over Valencia papered over the cracks but a run of two wins in eight games meant the former Leverkusen boss was constantly running uphill.
He survived Christmas but the axe fell following the Super Cup final defeat to Barca with reports suggesting he’d rowed with Kylian Mbappe and president Florentino Perez either side of the game in Saudi Arabia. After 233 days, Alonso was gone. In hindsight, he paid the price for not managing the two most influential figures at the club.
Madrid rushed into Arbeloa appointment
Rather than taking a step back and giving himself time to assess other options, Perez moved immediately to appoint Alvaro Arbeloa, promoting the former full-back from his role in charge of the B team, Castilla.
Even then there was no official announcement regarding Arbeloa’s contract. Was he a short-term fix or the man Perez believed could lead the team for the next few years?
It smacked of desperation and the mood hardly improved when Arbeloa’s first game in charge ended in an embarrassing Copa defeat at Segunda Division Albacete.
Fast forward three months and there has been no discernible improvement in Madrid’s fortunes.
They were four points behind Barcelona in the title race when Alonso departed. They are now seven adrift with just eight games to go. It is Barca’s to lose.
Every time they gather some momentum, they drop in an unfathomably bad performance. Osasuna away, Getafe at home and, at the weekend, Real Mallorca away.
Even the Champions League, the salvation of many a Madrid coach before Arbeloa, is looking a distant dream with last night’s 2-1 defeat at home to Bayern Munich meaning progression to the semi-finals is now a long shot.
In hindsight, which always makes things easier, Madrid would have been better sticking with Alonso and pledging to support him in rooting out the players steadfastly against a more high-tempo, high-press style. If that meant losing Vinicius and others then so be it.
The alternative has left Madrid rudderless with a squad clearly not good enough to compete with Barca, and certainly not the best teams in Europe.
Real Madrid need to get it right after previous blunders
The club needs a reset, the problem is who is capable of overseeing it?
The list of managers available at the end of the season is lengthy but not many fit the bill for the Bernabeu. Zinedine Zidane won’t return for a third spell and is going to take over as France boss. Xavi is a non-starter for obvious reasons while Enzo Maresca appears bound for Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp ticks many of the boxes but does he really have the heart for such an all-consuming role?
That leaves the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Andoni Iraola. Fine managers but is ‘fine’ good enough for Real Madrid?
What they need is someone who knows the club – maybe even an ex-player – who has proved himself elsewhere and is good enough and young enough to take the club forward and create a dynasty.
Anyone fit the bill?
The fact is they had the perfect man but tossed him aside at the first sign of trouble. Madrid’s loss will most likely be Liverpool’s gain.