Sid Lowe

And I think Arbaloa has been very, very conscious that one of the things he has to do is effectively put himself at the disposal of the players, is effectively protect the players at all costs.

And so that's why you see him after the defeat at Albacete and the defeat in Lisbon say, it's my responsibility.

And yet it's also why when they go and win Villarreal and play pretty well, he says, these are the best players in the world.

These guys were well up for it.

They were really good today.

They're the best.

And, you know, we're just trying to get the kind of the environment right.

And so I think his message has to be seen, I think, in that context of who it's been consumed by.

And it's been consumed by the public, of course, but it's also been consumed by his own players.

And I think that the way the players responded last night was partly an awareness.

I think it was partly the fact that, of course, they know that lots of people are looking at them because of the sacking of Xabi Alonso.

And I think one of the reasons why they got whistled by the Bernabeu in that game against Levante, for example, wasn't just because they've been playing badly, but because of the perception that not only have they been playing badly, but they haven't been making an effort.

And also the perception that they were the ones responsible for Alonso being sacked.

And there was a huge amount of frustration at the sense of a lost opportunity.

In the sacking of Alonso.

An opportunity to install a new culture.

To install a structure.

To install an idea and a philosophy of play.

Which couldn't happen because of that pre-existing culture of the players' attitudes.

And I think the players know at the moment that they are more exposed than ever before.