Real Madrid: Blame the players, not the coach, says midfielder Tchouameni

Aurelien Tchouameni insisted the Real Madrid dressing room remains firmly behind under-pressure coach Xabi Alonso and told angry supporters to take their frustrations out on the players.

Madrid’s 2-0 defeat at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday, a game which they finished with nine men following the dismissals of Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras, was a low point in a season in which Alonso has struggled to assert his authority following his switch from Bayer Leverkusen.

Widespread speculation has suggested Alonso’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu is almost up following a run of two wins in seven games but Tchouameni says the players are firmly behind him and need to take their share of the blame.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow night’s Champions League game with Manchester City, the France international said: “We are all with Xabi. If we want to win matches, we have to fight for everything with the coach, with the team, all in the same direction. At the end of the day, we’re on the pitch. We have to do things better than we already have. Tomorrow we have a good opportunity to change the dynamic a little and continue in the Champions League with more points.

“If we lose 2-0, it’s because there was a problem with us on the field, like intensity, like technical fouls, and all that. It’s not the coach’s fault. We are the ones on the field. We have to improve and we’re going to do it.”

We have to do things better – Madrid star Tchouameni

Asked if the team needs to improve its attitude, Tchouameni added: “I don’t know, but if we’re not winning games it’s because we have to do things better, both with the ball and with the commitment of everything, and play better in defence and in attack. 

“We definitely have to do things better to win games, and I hope we’re going to improve and win more games because what’s happening now can’t keep happening.”

‘We have to give more against Manchester City’

Madrid have been hit by defensive injuries all season with centre-half Eder Militao yesterday ruled out for four months with a hamstring injury suffered against Celta.

Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huijsen will be tasked with keeping City – and the in-form Erling Haaland – quiet although Tchouameni believes it is on all the Madrid players to shut City out.

He said: “We’re going to talk today about the game plan with the coach. We have many injured players in defence, but we have many players who can play in that position at a high level as well. We all have to defend together and commit to helping us defend well.

“We lacked intensity against Celta Vigo and we’ve lacked intensity in other matches too. If we don’t play with maximum intensity, it will be very difficult to win matches, so we have to understand that to win that type of match we have to give our maximum. We didn’t do that against Vigo but we have to do it tomorrow against City in the Champions League.”

Madrid are fifth in the Champions League table ahead of matchday six having won three games so far.