Xabi Alonso seems to have already established harmony among Real Madrid's players. The only criticism is that they don't score many goals. They're not wrong about that, as their victories are usually those with one goal more. Real Madrid, on the other hand, has accustomed us all to expecting four- or five-goal wins. Of course, even one goal after three points is enough, but if we're talking about the best team in the world, we expect more.
Criticism always comes to a coach, especially if they're the manager of Real Madrid, as this team is one of the most talked about teams worldwide.
Changing circumstances change everything, and the number of goals isn't really the issue, but rather how to consistently win.
Although we've seen Real Madrid consistently win by a much higher scoreline under Ancelotti, this doesn't mean much; it will take several big matches to see how consistent Real Madrid can be in achieving better results.
This is exactly what I'm expecting. Last year, under Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid suffered a decisive defeat against Barcelona. They failed to win a single Clasico match. This year, the biggest test for the new manager, and the one he'll be most exposed to, will be the matches against Barcelona. Other than that, the other matches won't draw much criticism. For now, Real Madrid is top of La Liga. That's what matters. They'll want to win against Barcelona and widen the gap, but until then, they have to win every match.
Whoever manages Real Madrid is always in the spotlight, which is the burden of all the demands from management and fans to improve the team. I think Xabi Alonso is aware of this, and he's felt it since his arrival.
I won't overestimate Real Madrid's current performance. I think Xabi Alonso still has a lot of work to do and also shortcomings to fix. What happened in the three matches they lost cannot be used as a benchmark, even if they did win.
Xabi Alonso's goal is not just to win El Clasico, but to win a trophy this season. Real Madrid didn't win anything last season. It's still early in the season, and I don't think there's anything to judge. The season is still very long, and anything is possible.