Alonso: This Is What Worries Me, and We Have Not Collapsed

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso appeared in press statements after the 2-2 draw against Elche in the thirteenth round of the Spanish league.

The coach said: "How do you explain this decline in performance? This is football. After a good run, we achieved several results we did not want. We know what we want, and we have to keep working hard. We are not happy; we always want to win, but we cannot. Many matches remain, so we must focus on the next match by analyzing what we presented today."

He added: "Why did the team collapse? It did not collapse. We are still competing; the context of each match is different. The result is the most important, and we are aware of that and criticize ourselves. Morale is high; we have to face difficulties. This is Real Madrid. We live with criticism; we want to improve."

He continued: "How is the relationship between the players and the technical staff? The relationship is improving. We have more time and interaction, and we know each other better. We are all in the same situation; we celebrate victories. We suffer if we do not win. The relationship is good. We have to change this situation, starting with the match against Olympiacos."

He followed: "What were you trying to achieve by placing Fran Garcia in an unfamiliar position? It is a familiar position; he has played there a lot. Those who remained in the team had more training time. We were looking to expand spaces on both sides to do something different. It was unfortunate to concede a goal after the 1-1 equalizer; that was our chance to come back. We fought hard and equalized 2-2. We lacked the extra push after the 1-1 equalizer."

He added: "Are you worried that Vinicius might lose focus due to sitting on the bench frequently? No, we talked about that. We talk about it a lot. He understands; he knew the role he could play. We have done this before, as happened in Getafe. We are not happy today, but everyone is eager to regain their usual level."

He concluded: "What worries you the most? I analyze everything after the matches, try to draw conclusions, and convey them to the players. Today, what I felt we lacked is that after the 1-1 draw, we did not maintain that stability. In the first half, we worked hard to take the initiative. The team did not give up."