'We're with him to the death!' - Jude Bellingham hails Xabi Alonso's 'very positive' influence at Real Madrid and insists problems are 'invented' and 'blown out of proportion'

Alonso, who took the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti in the summer, has found himself under intense scrutiny in recent weeks. Despite a squad boasting the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Bellingham himself, the team have endured a stuttering period of form that has allowed rivals Barcelona to open up a gap at the top of La Liga. Rumours in the Spanish capital have alluded to friction between the manager and key players, particularly regarding tactical decisions and substitutions.

However, Bellingham unequivocally shut down those suggestions, painting a picture of a united group that fully believes in Alonso’s methods.

“When things aren't going well, many problems are invented,” Bellingham stated, addressing the media frenzy. “We know what really happens inside the dressing room. From the outside it's seen from another perspective. We are all with the coach, there is no debate.”

He went further, describing the former Bayer Leverkusen boss as a galvanising figure behind the scenes, rather than the divisive one portrayed in the press.

“He is very positive, he is a very positive influence and we are working to improve,” Bellingham added. “We are all with the coach to the death.”

The narrative of a "crisis" at Real Madrid is often only one bad result away, regardless of the wider context. Bellingham was keen to inject a dose of reality into the conversation, listing the club’s current competitive standing as evidence that the season is far from the catastrophe some are making it out to be.

While acknowledging that the team has experienced "ups and downs" during the current campaign, he urged fans and pundits to look at the cold hard facts before calling for heads to roll.

“We have to see where we are now: in a Super Cup semi-final, four points off the leader in La Liga and in the top eight of the Champions League,” Bellingham argued. “No disaster, for me. Being Real Madrid, everything is exaggerated when things aren't quite right, but we want to be better.”

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Part of the "invented" trouble has centred on alleged cliques within the squad, specifically involving Vinicius Jr. Reports have suggested that the Brazilian’s difficult season has led to isolation, but Bellingham addressed these claims directly, insisting his relationship with the forward remains strong.

“I get on very well with my teammates and with Vini Jr,” he said. “If for whatever reason you see things aren't going well, we sit down and talk.”

Ultimately, Bellingham acknowledged that the noise surrounding the manager’s future is par for the course at a club of Real Madrid’s stature. While he was adamant that the players are fighting for Alonso, he conceded that the power to hire and fire lies elsewhere.

“In the dressing room we are all united, the coaching staff and the players,” he reiterated. “Those decisions [about the manager's future] are taken way above me.”

For now, the focus is strictly on the pitch. Real Madrid are in Saudi Arabia to contest the Spanish Super Cup, a trophy that team-mate Vinicius says could serve as a turning point for their season. A piece of silverware in January would go a long way to silencing the critics and validating Alonso’s project. Conversely, a defeat would likely turn the volume on the "invented" problems up to a deafening roar.