What\u2019s next for Xabi Alonso after leaving Real Madrid?<\/p>\n
As damaging as Sunday\u2019s Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona<\/a> was for Xabi Alonso\u2019s credibility as Real Madrid manager, the scenes after the game ultimately finished him off. The sight of Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 overriding Alonso, insisting<\/a> his teammates leave the pitch as the manager requested in vain that they give Bar\u00e7a a guard of honour, summed up an untenable situation.<\/p>\n Less than 24 hours later, Alonso was gone<\/a>. Just seven months ago, the 44-year-old was widely seen as the best young coach of his generation. He had the pick of Europe\u2019s biggest clubs after sensationally leading Bayer Leverkusen<\/a> to the Bundesliga title. However, none of the things that worked for Alonso in Germany worked for him at the Santiago Bernab\u00e9u.<\/p>\n How much Alonso is blamed for that will be evident in what comes next. Will Europe\u2019s biggest clubs, many of whom Alonso spurned a year ago, come calling in the belief the former midfielder was never likely to survive the Real Madrid viper\u2019s nest? Could Liverpool, for example, pretend that the last seven months never happened and replace Arne Slot with the man many thought was destined<\/a> to succeed J\u00fcrgen Klopp in the first place?<\/p>\n Considering Alonso was so careful to wait for the perfect opportunity before taking over at Leverkusen, rejecting other job offers as he bided his time, it was always surprising that he felt Real Madrid<\/a> was the right next step. He may, however, get a do-over. Real Madrid never wanted a \u201cprocess\u201d coach, but someone else could.<\/p>\n Was Wrexham\u2019s win over Premier League opposition a sign of things to come?<\/p>\n Ryan Reynolds had never seen such a momentous occasion as Wrexham co-owner, not least because he missed<\/a> the Welsh team\u2019s third goal of a landmark FA Cup win<\/a> over Nottingham Forest. Nature calls for us all, even Deadpool. The Premier League may be calling for Wrexham too.<\/p>\n Possibly not this season though. While Phil Parkinson\u2019s side are on a good run of form, winning their last five matches in a row in all competitions, Wrexham still find themselves outside the playoff places in the Championship<\/a>. After three successive promotions, this season may be about consolidation in the second tier. That would still be a success.<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s win over Forest, however, may have hinted at Wrexham\u2019s ultimate destination. There\u2019s still a long way to go before Wrexham are anywhere near good enough to regularly compete at Premier League<\/a> level. Transfermarkt values Wrexham\u2019s squad at \u20ac56m and Nottingham Forest\u2019s at \u20ac602m. That gulf, however, could be bridged.<\/p>\n This explains why Rob McElhenney and Reynolds have opened the Racecourse Ground door to outside investment, recently selling a stake<\/a> in Wrexham to US private equity investors Apollo. The New York-based Allyn family have also invested in the Welsh club. While the win over Nottingham Forest was Wrexham\u2019s first victory over Premier League opposition in this era, they have been gearing up to compete at that level for some time.<\/p>\n What can Thomas Frank do to prevent the inevitable?Thomas Frank\u2019s Tottenham team have won just two of their last 12 games. Photograph: Dylan Martinez\/Reuters<\/p>\n Booing at full-time has become just as much a part of the Tottenham Hotspur matchday experience as buying a pint from the on-site craft brewery. So much so that apathy has started to dull the vitriol regularly directed towards Thomas Frank and his players. The booing after Tottenham\u2019s latest defeat to Aston Villa<\/a> was half-hearted.<\/p>\n It\u2019s understandable that Spurs fans are at the end of their tether. After finishing 17th last season, the north London club is once again sliding further and further down the Premier League table, winning just two of their last 12 games. Frank\u2019s points per game ratio (1.32) is even lower than Ange Postecoglou\u2019s was (1.52).<\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s home loss to Villa closed the door on a run in the FA Cup, with Spurs also out of the Carabao Cup. Frank\u2019s team are well-placed to reach the next round of the Champions League, but few expect them to make the sharp end of the competition. The things that kept Postecoglou in a job until the end of last season are ebbing away for his replacement.<\/p>\n