"We tried hard to experiment with different tactics, such as pushing the defensive line higher and pressing more aggressively. We were a bit lax in the first half and more aggressive in the second. This is the way we want to play."
To put it more bluntly, this is the way Alonso wants to play. Alonso wants to play a style different from that of his predecessor Ancelotti; this is no secret. At Bayer Leverkusen he already emphasized Ball Control and immediate counter-pressing, and at Real Madrid he will, in all likelihood, continue with that approach which has been proven effective in the Bundesliga.
To a certain extent, the fact that the head coach failed to win his debut has little substantive bearing on Real Madrid's new season. After all, over the past 33 years Capello (1–1), Mourinho (0–0) and Benitez (0–0) all failed to win their Real Madrid debuts. The real key is what changes Alonso can make from here on; from this perspective, things do not look particularly optimistic.
