Xabi Alonso wants to 'help' Jude Bellingham be 'happy' as he explains Real Madrid's slump in form - 'We've lacked consistency'

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Xabi Alonso has said he wants to help England midfielder Jude Bellingham feel happy and get back to his best at Real Madrid as the Spaniard addressed the slump in form of his side in November. Bellingham scored 28 goals in his first 59 La Liga matches for Madrid, but his recent form has come under fire, while Los Blancos fell to second in the table after three straight draws.

Alonso reveals that Madrid 'want to help' Bellingham through his recent struggles

Video credit: SNTV

Xabi Alonso has said he wants to help Jude Bellingham to get the England midfielder performing at his best for Real Madrid.

Bellingham joined Madrid in June 2023 in a deal worth £88 million from Borussia Dortmund and enjoyed a fine first two years at the club.

Los Blancos lifted both the La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles in his first season in the Spanish capital, with Bellingham winning the La Liga Player of the Season, while he was also named in the La Liga Team of the Season in each of the last two years.

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This season under Xabi Alonso, though, his form has been called into question.

Madrid are second in the La Liga table, just a point behind Clasico rivals Barcelona, but have drawn each of their last three matches, while Barca, and league-chasing rivals Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, have all won their last four.

That has seen their early-season lead vanish, while they sit fifth in the Champions League table, recently losing at Anfield to an out-of-sorts Liverpool side.

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Video credit: SNTV

They won just two of their five matches in November, which has increased pressure on Alonso, such is the nature of the job at Real Madrid.

Alonso made it clear he is looking at addressing this, and insisted that helping Bellingham is also high on his list of priorities.

When asked about Bellingham's demeanour, Alonso said at a press conference: "I'm with him every day and I see him doing well.

"I see him motivated - obviously he shares the feeling of all the players and everyone on the team of not being happy after not winning.

"The demands are high here and so is the responsibility, and Jude is part of that.

"We have to help each other and help Jude so that he is happy and performing at his best."

Alonso, who played for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2014, winning La Liga and the Champions League in the process, came back to the club with a glowing reputation as one of the best young managers in the world.

While at Bayer Leverkusen, he took them to the Bundesliga title unbeaten and won the DFB Pokal, with the only loss of their entire 2023/24 season coming in the UEFA Europa League final courtesy of an Ademola Lookman hat-trick for Atalanta.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

Alonso insisted effort has never been a problem during his time at Madrid and that the team will be looking to return to their best standards when they face Athletic Club on Wednesday.

He said: "We're playing football, and we always try to do our best.

"This team, these players have always tried to give their all, and there have been good matches as well as there have been matches that weren't as good.

"We haven't been able to win the last few. We've lacked consistency. The challenge is to raise our level for the next match."

Stream the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Serie A and Men's and Women's FA Cup and more on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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