Xabi Alonso: "It's our first defeat and we're all hurting"
“The important thing is how we react and how we can improve,” added the coach.
Xabi Alonso spoke to the media in the Metropolitano press room and analysed the Madrid derby against Atlético, on matchday seven of LaLiga: “It was a bad game from us. We didn't start well and we didn't play well collectively, we didn't perform at the required level with or without the ball. We're still building and this is our first defeat. It's not over yet. We need to learn from this for the future. We're hurting because it was a deserved defeat. We missed a gear and the defeat hurts.”
“It's a positive setback for the future. We've been too weak in duels and when playing long balls, and we haven't found solutions with the ball. It was a poor performance overall and a deserved defeat. That's football, and defeats happen sometimes. It was our first, and we're certainly going to learn from it. The defeat was deserved, and there are no complaints about the refereeing. It's our first defeat, and it's painful. We're all hurting. We feel very responsible, and now we have to look ahead. We're just starting the season, and this isn't the level we want to perform at.”
Reaction
“We're not pleased with how we played today, but we also don't want to forget where we came from. We want to get back on track, and there are always tough days when you're building something. The important thing is how we react and how we improve. We have to take the positives from the pain we're feeling today.”
On Bellingham starting
“We need everyone and we were training well. We haven't been fluid with the ball and we've been losing duels. We haven't recovered in the opposition's half either. We'll analyse the decisions and learn from them. We won't forget this tough defeat. It's a process of building and today we didn't perform at the level we'd have liked. We have to be critical of ourselves, draw conclusions and try to improve.”
What is most concerning about the defeat?
“The most worrying thing is why we lacked that intensity. We didn't compete enough and we weren't at the level required for these matches and these opponents. We have to raise our game. That's what we have to do. I felt we needed to raise our game in every aspect.”
The half-time talk
“We talked at half-time about starting a new game, but we didn't manage to do that. There were circumstances: the penalty, the free kick and losing possession. We didn't play to our usual standard and we were deservedly punished.”
The ball collectors at the Metropolitano
“We're not going to use a recurring point as an excuse for our defeat. We didn't perform to our usual standard, and we need to use this pain in a positive way, both individually and collectively.”