In Madrid's dark hour, Bellingham steps forward to shield Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid may be slipping, but Jude Bellingham insists the players are not slipping away from their manager, Xabi Alonso.

The pressure on the Real Madrid boss has intensified after the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City - Los Blancos' second straight home loss and their sixth winless match in eight. Yet despite the alarming run, the mood inside the dressing room appears far from mutinous.

No Mbappe, no victory — Man City beats Real Madrid and puts Xabi's job at risk

Speaking after the match, Bellingham delivered a clear, unwavering message: the squad is fully behind their manager.

"The manager has been great. I have a great relationship with him and so do a lot of the boys," the England star told TNT Sports. "No one is downing tools, no one is complaining. We take it on the chin and keep fighting."

Bellingham went further, revealing the group has already held internal conversations in an effort to fix the slump - a sign of unity rather than division.

"We've had good talks. We know we have what we need in the changing room to turn it around," he added. "This season isn't over just because we're in a bad run of form."

Sources around the squad echo Bellingham's sentiment: the players feel Alonso is not the problem, even if results suggest he is running out of time with club president Florentino Perez.

Board meeting over Alonso's future

Alonso's demanding, modern playing style, closer to Pep Guardiola's than the ego-management approach of Carlo Ancelotti or Zinedine Zidane, has created growing pains.

However, insiders say the dressing room respects his ideas, even amid recent friction, like Vinicius Jr's frustration over substitutions earlier this season.

Despite three losses in eight and a slide down La Liga, Real Madrid remain four points behind Barcelona and well inside the Champions League top eight. The season is far from lost, but Alonso needs results quickly.

For now, though, his greatest asset isn’t tactics or reputation. It’s the trust of his biggest stars. And none speaks louder than Jude Bellingham.