Agree. FIFA Club World Cup is not being taken seriously by any team. So we don't know yet whether Xabi Alonso will be successful with Madrid. Xabi is experimenting with Real Madrid's squad. And Madrid's performance seems to be somewhat stable. But it's not yet time to reach a conclusion.
Real Madrid won 1-0 with Juventus. In this match we saw Tchouameni in defense and Alexander Arnold in midfield. I don't think Madrid will play in this formation next season. Alexander Arnold is mainly a defender and Tchouameni is a defensive midfielder. Also, if Mbappe is added to the starting XI, we will see more changes in the match tactics and formation.
Well, in that respect despite not taking the tournament seriously for Alonso himself it's the opposite of a plus. He will just see how the team plays in different conditions, when they put in the effort and whether they can fulfil the set-up, which would then make adjustments. It's good that Anceloti didn't stay for the Club World Cup, for it will give Alonso more preliminary practice with the team