Craven Corner: Fulham have a clear plan A, but what happens when Plan A stops...

[Bronaldinho]

The Craven Corner: Fulham have a clear plan A, but what happens when plan A stops working

At what point does "it's only three games" stop being a reasonable defence?

Fulham have lost their opening three Premier League games, and while that is not the worst start in the club's Premier League history, it is only the third time they have begun a top-flight campaign with three straight defeats. The previous two occasions ended in relegation. History does not mean it will happen again, but it does mean the alarm bells are perfectly justified.And yet, strangely, I don't think Fulham's biggest problem is simply the fact they are losing games. It is the way they are losing them. There is plenty to like about Álvaro Arbeloa's Fulham. Going forward, there is energy, aggression and plenty of imagination. They create chances, commit players forward and have a clear attacking philosophy that can be genuinely exciting to watch.

But Premier League football matches change in an instant, and you have to be prepared to react.

We started to see how Arbeloa manages different scenarios in a game this weekend, and it certainly raised alarm bells, especially when Fulham took the lead twice. Arbeloa remained committed to his game plan and failed to manage the game when his side were winning.It's great having a Plan A and playing some exciting football, but if you can't react to events in the game, find a Plan B or manage to take something when you are on top, you really are in for a brutal season.

Three defeats in a row isn't our worst ever start, but the history is uncomfortable reading

It is worth getting the terminology right because the numbers are bad enough without exaggerating them. Fulham have now lost their opening three Premier League games for only the third time in their history. The previous occasions were 1951/52 and 2020/21, with Fulham eventually relegated in both campaigns.That does not mean history is about to repeat itself. Three games is three games, and Fulham's fixtures have hardly been kind, with Chelsea, Sunderland and Crystal Palace followed by Liverpool and Manchester United. But it does mean the margin for error has already become considerably smaller.

There is also a strange contrast to this Fulham side. The attack looks capable of scoring goals. They have scored four in three league games and created plenty against Palace. Arbeloa's football is producing opportunities. The issue is that the team currently looks capable of giving away just as much as it creates and that is not sustainable.

The palace game showed that we struggle to manage games when we're in the lead.

This is probably the biggest concern coming out of the Palace defeat. Fulham took the lead twice. Both times, you expected the game to change. Maybe the tempo drops for five minutes and you control the game. Maybe the midfield sits five yards deeper. Maybe the full-backs become more conservative. Maybe the team becomes slightly less aggressive with its positioning.

The 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace was almost the perfect example of the problem. Fulham led twice and had periods where they looked the better side, but we walk away with another defeat. Josh King was outstanding, the attacking combinations were promising and Palace were being asked plenty of questions. But did Fulham change when the circumstances demanded it? Nope. The same attacking structure remained, the same aggressive positioning remained and the same willingness to commit players forward remained.

That is admirable when you are chasing the game or it is 0-0. It is considerably less admirable when you are protecting a lead, twice.This is where the conversation around Arbeloa's future becomes a bit more nuanced. It is far too early to write off the manager, and there are obvious signs that his ideas are taking shape. But having a clear philosophy does not mean being incapable of deviating from it. The best managers know when to attack and when to manage. Fulham currently look like a team that knows how to attack, but I am not convinced they know how to manage games when the circumstances change.

Another royal performance from Arbeloa's King

If there is one player who has emerged from these opening three games with his reputation enhanced, it is Josh King.

The 19-year-old was arguably Fulham's best player against Palace. He scored the opener, created the move for César Palacios' goal and was a constant source of energy from the left. His ability to carry the ball, move into different areas and drive Fulham forward was obvious throughout the game. The most encouraging part is that King does not look like a youngster simply being given minutes. He looks increasingly important to the way Fulham want to play. That is a huge credit to Arbeloa, who has really given him confidence and put his arm around him immediately since he joined.

Whatever happens with the manager, King is one of the players who appears to be benefiting enormously from this coaching environment. His confidence is obvious and his influence is growing. He has already shown he can make an impact at this level, and there is a genuine argument that he has been Fulham's standout performer across the opening games. For all the questions surrounding Arbeloa, this is exactly what you want a new manager to do and was the criticism we did have of Silva. Identify young talent, give them responsibility and allow them the freedom to develop.

When you watch Josh King this season under Arbeloa, he looks like a much more expressive footballer, and one you wouldn't be surprised becomes a £100m prospect at the end of this season.

It's been months, and the RCB problem remains...

This is an issue that has been apparent for some time now, and Palace only reinforced it, with all the goals coming from overlapping left-backs. Fulham need speed at right centre-back. Not tomorrow or next season, but now. Andersen cannot play in the current system, and with Arbeloa not willing to adapt to protect him, change has to happen. It sounds simplistic, but it is increasingly difficult to ignore. Arbeloa's system asks the centre-backs to defend large spaces, particularly when Fulham lose possession with both full-backs or wide players high up the pitch. If the centre-back is quick, that can be managed. If he isn't, the entire structure becomes vulnerable.

Joachim Andersen started again against Palace and Fulham repeatedly found themselves defending transitions where the distances between players were enormous. Once Palace got beyond the first line of pressure, there was often an awful lot of grass to cover. Sadly, if the system doesn't adapt, the players have to change. For the RCB, it's Affengruber's chance, and that has to change against Liverpool. Affengruber may well get a baptism of fire against Liverpool and United, but you can't teach speed overnight, so we have to take our most mobile option in that position.

Our defenders may get a lot of criticism, but Bassey stands out.

There were several moments against Palace when Bassey's recovery speed prevented a bad situation becoming an even worse one. That is becoming something of a recurring theme. He is one of the fastest centre-backs in this league and his ability to recover is almost tailor-made for a system that leaves defenders exposed. But Bassey is also becoming increasingly important with the ball. He is comfortable stepping forward, carrying possession and helping create overloads. That is an encouraging development and suggests there is more to his game than simply being the defender who cleans up behind everyone else.

There is still a question over how high he is being asked to go. When Bassey or his partner steps into midfield, one of Fulham's midfielders often drops into the centre-back position to cover him. That can create the desired numerical advantage, but you have to wonder whether the player moving into that space is actually more naturally suited to it than a midfielder is to the advanced position. It is something we never saw under Silva, with his centre-backs simply instructed to protect and distribute to Berge or another midfielder to build the play.

There are times when tactical complexity becomes complexity for complexity's sake. Bassey's ability to play football should absolutely be encouraged, but Fulham need to ask whether they are creating an unnecessary problem at the back simply to create an additional player higher up the pitch. One thing is for certain: Bassey doesn't have too long left on his deal, and his ability to prove he can play with the ball will get the bigger clubs circulating if we don't start getting results.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, and expecting different results

This feels relevant to Fulham because their biggest problem is not necessarily how they attack, but what happens when that attack breaks down.There is a reason they look so good with the ball. They commit numbers forward, rotate constantly, occupy the wide areas and push their midfielders and centre-backs higher. When it clicks, they can overwhelm teams.The problem is what happens when they lose it.

The Palace game was another example. Fulham's attacking shape can leave huge spaces down the flanks and in the channels. If the initial counter-press fails, players are suddenly sprinting back into positions they should never have had to vacate. That is where the Premier League punishes you. The issue is not that Fulham press aggressively. It is that their counter-press can become everyone chasing the ball. The best sides have layers to their reaction. One player attacks the ball, others block passing lanes and the rest protect the spaces behind them.

Fulham do not always have that second and third layer. At times, it looks like youth football. Everyone sees the ball, everyone wants to help, and suddenly nobody is protecting what is behind them. That is particularly interesting when you consider Arbeloa's experience in youth football, where teaching players to understand space and structure is such a fundamental part of development. At Premier League level, you cannot afford that lack of control. One player gets dragged towards the ball, another loses his runner and a midfielder is slow to recover. Suddenly, the opposition has a huge space to attack. There was plenty of praise for Gonzalo García's recovery running against Palace, and rightly so. But why is your centre-forward sometimes ending up as one of the deepest players on the pitch while midfielders and defenders are jogging back around him? That is not a problem with García's effort. It is a problem with the structure around him and the fact Fulham have not yet shown enough organisation when they need to regroup out of possession.

Fulham should not abandon their attacking aggression. It is one of their biggest strengths. But the risk has to be calculated. If the first press is beaten, everyone needs to know exactly which space, player or passing lane they are responsible for. Otherwise, Fulham will keep creating the same problem for themselves and hoping the next transition produces a different outcome.

Do we have to accept that Leno is on the decline?

Bernd Leno deserves a lot of credit for what he has done for Fulham over the years. He has been an excellent Premier League goalkeeper and, at his best, his mobility and willingness to sweep behind the defence have been major assets. But there were worrying moments against Palace. Mitchell's goal was particularly uncomfortable, with Leno and Andersen struggling to deal with the situation before the Palace attacker finished at the near post. The disallowed goal also raised questions about Leno's hesitation when coming off his line, while the eventual winner saw him come out and fail to get there ahead of the attacker. Again, it would be unfair to pin the defeat solely on the goalkeeper. The defensive situation in front of him was a mess.

But there is a wider question. One of the things that made Leno such a good goalkeeper for Fulham was his speed, mobility and willingness to come off his line as teams broke through. If any of those attributes are beginning to decline, Fulham have a serious problem because the goalkeeper becomes increasingly exposed by a system that demands so much from him. Benjamin Lecomte is the alternative, but replacing Leno is not a decision to be made lightly. It is nevertheless a position worth watching if these issues continue.

How much time does Arbeloa have?

The next two games are Liverpool away and Manchester United at home. That is about as difficult a pair of fixtures as you could ask for after losing your first three. Arbeloa is almost certainly going to be given those games. Quite rightly too. It would be absurd to sack a manager after three matches simply because the results have been poor, particularly when there have been genuine positive signs in the performances.

If Fulham lose at Anfield and then lose to Manchester United, they could be sitting on zero points after five games. Suddenly, this is no longer an awkward start, and the crisis alarms start to ring. The fixture list does offer a potential lifeline later in the season, with Fulham due to face the promoted sides, but those games cannot simply be banked as guaranteed points. The pressure would be enormous if Fulham arrived at that run without a point on the board.

There is still plenty of football to play, but Fulham cannot keep telling themselves that the points will come later. At some point, they have to start taking them and delivering results. If Arbeloa's Fulham perform badly against Liverpool and United, does the board and fans trust him enough to have the opportunity to coach against Hull, Coventry and Ipswich, which would be critical games for our season?

Squad disharmony rumours?

There are already rumours of player dissatisfaction with Arbeloa, while Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe removing Fulham-related material from their social media accounts, alongside Kevin's cryptic post, has naturally fuelled speculation. There is usually no smoke without fire, but there is also a huge difference between noticing something and deciding you know what it means. Perhaps there is frustration inside the dressing room. Perhaps players are unhappy with their roles. Perhaps there are disagreements with the manager. Or perhaps some of this has absolutely nothing to do with football.

It is also worth noting that Iwobi reportedly cleared his Instagram grid some time ago, while his Reels section still features Fulham content. That does not prove anything, but it is a useful reminder that social media can be very easy to overanalyse. It is certainly notable that we did not really see incidents like this under Marco Silva. That makes the current situation worth watching, but not necessarily worth declaring a crisis over.

For now, let's see what happens before we all start pouring petrol on the situation. Fulham need the squad together, and if there genuinely is a problem between the players and Arbeloa, it will become clearer soon enough.

The next few weeks are make or break for Arbeloa in the Premier League

This is not about abandoning the philosophy. Fulham should not suddenly become a defensive team. The attacking football has probably been one of the few genuinely encouraging parts of these opening three games. They are creating chances, moving the ball well and putting teams under pressure. If Fulham are 2-1 up with half an hour to play, they cannot always approach the game as though they are 1-0 down. Sometimes you have to take the sting out of a match. Sometimes the full-backs need to be more conservative.

Sometimes the midfield needs to sit a little deeper and protect the centre-backs. Sometimes, rather than immediately trying to win the ball back, you just need to get your shape back.Not every game needs to be a 90-minute exercise in chaos. Sometimes a scrappy 2-1 win is worth far more than another entertaining defeat.

Arbeloa clearly has a Plan A, and there is plenty to like about it. But these opening games have exposed what happens when that plan is disrupted. The next step is finding a way to manage those moments rather than simply hoping they disappear. Because with Liverpool and Manchester United coming up, Fulham do not have long to figure it out.Three games is a wobble. Five without a win could start to look like something much bigger.

What are your thoughts?

Comment below, or contact me on X – @TheCravenCorner

As always, thank you for the ongoing support – I really enjoy writing and it means a lot to hear your feedback and engagement with The Craven Corner. Please do share this where you can, as it really would help a lot!

Thank you

Original Content Link:https://thecravencorner.wordpress.com/2026/09/07/fulham-have-a-clear-plan-a-but-what-happens-when-plan-a-stops-working/