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To be fair to Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid’s first two goals they gave up to PSG in the semifinals of the Club World Cup came from individual errors. His defensive structure actually worked on PSG’s opener, with the backline pushing Desire Doue wide until centerback Raul Asencio froze on the clearance. That was followed by Asencio’s centerback partner Antonio Rudiger getting uncharacteristically caught after his own indecision with the ball. Asencio’s Instagram apology for his mistake took some attention away from the embarrassing 4-0 loss, with discussions over formations and how to balance a lineup featuring Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. on hold — for now.

But you could also say that both of Real Madrid’s individual mistakes were a byproduct of PSG’s cohesive press that started with their frontline, something that the Spanish club lacked. Not that Alonso wasn’t warned. We saw what happened over a month ago in the Champions League Final when Inter sat back, let PSG’s midfield dictate the match, and get carved up for five goals. Nothing blunts nine-figures worth of attackers like when they’re chasing opponents with no active, repeatable mechanism to regain possession.

Their inability to make PSG uncomfortable off the ball had to be the most disappointing part of the result for Alonso. One of the Basque manager’s defining characteristics while cutting his teeth at Bayer Leverkusen was his 3-4-3 formation defined by solidity through the middle with three centerbacks and two ball-winning center midfielders. And in the times Real Madrid did press, it came from individual decisions and lacked a choreographed team movement.

“We couldn’t press like them; from my point of view, we always arrived a little late, everyone out of position and that’s how they beat you. We weren’t close to them,” said a typically direct Thibault Courtois after the PSG loss.

Organized pressing isn’t really why we watch Real Madrid, is it? The off-ball issues arising from signing the best attacking talents in the world feels infinitely familiar for the most successful team in Europe, not a bug but a feature. Yet there are little nuances; during the Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo “BBC” era, Bale had legs and Benzema brought tactical intelligence and physicality. And perhaps most important, the two understood their place in the hierarchy with Ronaldo.

Alonso is reportedly ready to resolve the unclarity between Mbappe and Vinicius and determine some sort of balance between the players who excel at the same left wing position. Each has his arguments. Vinicius had 15 goals in 26 matches while leading the club to another Champions League title just two seasons ago. And despite the chemistry issues, Mbappe scored 31 goals in his debut season with the club.

Adding in Jude Bellingham’s desire to get into the box (and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s attacking instincts), the burden of balance once again falls upon the in-between players. Fede Valverde has glued the midfield and defense together for what seems like years now with his ability to cover ground and plug holes. Alonso already described Aurelien Tchouameni’s versatility in dropping between midfield and the backline as the “secret key” to his style. New centerback signing Dean Huijsen can play with both feet, opening up different angles. Positional and tactical versatility are non-negotiables.

We’ve also seen clashes between a manager focused on rigid structures attempting to reign in the expressive style of Real Madrid. Alonso’s organized approach with Leverkusen was developed under the context of a league centered on creating and nullifying counter attacks. The roster was a mix of experienced veterans like Granit Xhaka and Jonathan Tah, and developing, athletic phenoms in Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz. Leverkusen had never won a Bundesliga in club history. That level of buy-in and history-making is a long distance from a roster worth over a billion dollars and a club with 36 league titles and 15 European trophies.

And that hardly touches upon the uninvited, outside scrutiny.

“A coach’s obligation is to accept a little of who they are and, from there, try to get the best possible performance from them. And if you like Mbappe, then he has to play. And if you like Vinicius, then he has to play too. If not, they wouldn\\\'t be Vinicius and they wouldn’t be Mbappe,” said Vicente del Bosque on Alonso’s challenge. 

Which makes the mysterious alchemy of Carlo Ancelotti more impressive, even if his most loyal supporters concede that a change was needed. Ancelotti is literally and figuratively of another age, one molded prior to data analytics and 4K video resolutions. He is of a disappearing myth-making archetype, those managers who’ve built their brand equally on inviting players to expensive dinners in the town as their tactical flexibility - the type of manager built to handle the largest personalities in the sport. For his part, Ancelotti called the Alonso hire two years ago.

“I think one day - for Raul [Gonzalez], for Alvaro [Arbeloa], for Xabi Alonso, their biggest wish is to coach Real Madrid and I want that for them because I know them all,” said Ancelotti.

Ancelotti revealed a truth in highlighting the deep bench of alumni available to the club. There’s always another legend waiting to be called upon, each with their own insight into the specific alchemy that balances individual stardom, team play, and the overall show.

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At least the bandaid got ripped off in front of the world stage. There would be no Vinicius or Mbappe covering the cracks with their one-on-one brilliance. The defeat to PSG also took on a reflective tone with Luka Modric leaving the club afterwards. The midfielder is a symbol of the club’s transition period, with his six Champions League trophies a daunting achievement that Alonso will be measured against.

“This is not the desired end, it’s a bitter end, but he won’t be remembered for today’s game but for other great ones,” reminisced Alonso.

For what Jurgen Klopp labeled as the “worst idea ever,” we actually did learn about the current hierarchy of teams during the Club World Cup. Many pointed out the contrasting development of the current PSG and Real Madrid sides, with differing lessons on signing the biggest stars and building cohesive squads. Luis Enrique stepped in to defend Alonso, reminding us all that his PSG side were built over two seasons of work, both on the field and in the transfer market.

Thus time is significant in determining Alonso’s success, something that history tells us he may not get much of. Alonso’s stature buys him some leeway, but we know how fast the narrative can turn with a loss to Barcelona or struggles in the Champions League. Especially with Raul or Arbeloa in the waiting. There would be no elegies for Alonso, just becoming another once-promising manager who got churned by the unforgiving balance between stardom and structure.