Sammy, Jack, and Elizabeth are back behind the mics, ready to rate and slate the latest batch of musical submissions from Fulham fans across the globe.

Supporters have sent in their chant ideas with one dream in mind: to hear them echo around the Hammersmith End on match days.

Guests:

Sammy James

Elizabeth Barnard

Jack Collins

Producer:

Freddie Cooper

Supporters have sent in their chant ideas with one dream in mind: to hear them echo around the Hammersmith End on match days.

Guests:

Sammy James

Elizabeth Barnard

Jack Collins

Producer:

Freddie Cooper

Read more

Alvaro Arbeloa joined Fulham with a vision: a view to integrate youth with experience, and while our new gaffer’s project is still in the prototype phase there’s one clear winner so far: Josh King - and with good reason.

We all know Arbeloa is a strong believer in blooding youngsters - it’s his main personality trait a this point. Cesar Palacios and Manuel Angel both have Alvaro to thank for their respective Los Blancos debuts, but it isn’t all about introducing the next generation to the masses - championing their reputations is also just as important. And that’s where King emerges into the limelight.

With a new boss coming through the door for Marco Silva – the man who entrusted Josh to make his mark against Birmingham City in 2024 – Arbeloa’s arrival could’ve could’ve changed things for King, but sure enough - the only direction of travel for our midfield pocket rocket is to the stars.

There have never been any doubts over Josh’s ability; he’s held in the highest regard at the parks of Motspur and St. George, but reputations don’t always account for everything when a new manager’s appointed and our 19-year-old wasn’t about to get off on the wrong foot.

He was invited to train with Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup camp during the summer; he’s undoubtedly destined for a Three Lions call-up and he only narrowly missed out on England’s October meetings, but he will continue to be in contention because Arbeloa’s system is tailor-made for his punchy mediapunta style.

With a license to meddle, hustle and mesmerise, King is no shrinking violet; he isn’t scared of his own shadow and as Alvaro inherited him when his confidence was at its peak, his potential has been harnessed to the fullest and he is now the first name on Fulham’s team sheet.

The thing is, you cannot associate Josh with inferiority or subordinance. He had to prove his worth to a manager who wasn’t particularly accommodating to youth players and he did so, emphatically. He had to dislodge multi-million-pound signings such as Emile Smith Rowe and now it’s clear, he is streets ahead of the Hale End grad.

King is designed for close encounters, the narrow yards between a defender’s studs and open space and Arbeloa’s seemingly plotting a plan that has King, his crowning jewel, at the forefront of it all.

Diminutive but by no means weak, adventurous but not wasteful, Josh’s daringness on the ball has us gripped. His dedication to improvement and progression is a defining non-negotiable to this new-look Fulham we’re all curious of and King’s natural ethic and attitude will ultimately set the standard for the entire collective, budding or otherwise.

SW6’s stellar starlet is evolving. He’s a model trainer and performer with a humble head on his shoulders, A teenager, yes, but he isn’t green to the weight and pressure of the Premier League, nor is he daunted by stages and stadiums that would even leave men in their fifties quaking in fear, he relishes each challenge and he sidesteps every obstacle with one driving objective: to take Fulham to the next level. Why wouldn’t Alvaro want to tap into this willingness?

Arbeloa may have persuaded a very talented Real Madrid crop to follow him to the banks of the Thames, and that also must be commended, but of all the players he had to recognise as integral - despite the hand-picked signings and big-money moves - King was at the top of the list, and his on-field return to date -albeit five games into the season - demonstrates why he is Fulham’s shining light amid one or two dark clouds.

Josh is an FPL cheat code, a fancied should-be England option, a poster boy for the club’s revered development system and just as much of an advocate for Arbeloa’s programme as Alvaro is for his ingenious number 10’s influence.

Hopeful understudies should study King and how he conducts himself. Chibby Nwoko, Jayden Quashie, Macauley Zepa and all of those vying to be noticed by Arbeloa need to stay hungry, prepared and above all else, disciplined, because they can certainly follow suit in this revamped Fulham set-up. A path has been paved and now it is up to them to tread it regularly, rather than fleetingly.

This partnership and understanding between Josh and Alvaro simply must work because if it does, we’re going to witness football that’s exciting, bold, risky and defiant, and King will be the proud torch bearer.

Fulham have had some brilliant players over the last 20 years. Saha, Dembele, Berbatov, Cairney. Players who’s flare made you glad you picked this club. This piece is not about those players.

This is about the others. The ones who arrived with a story, or left with one, or somehow managed both at the same time. The strange ones. The ones you bring up at the pub and get a look from someone who wasn’t paying close enough attention at the time.

1. Facundo Sava

There are many ways to celebrate a goal. A knee slide. A finger to the sky. A restrained fist pump if you’re that way inclined.

Facundo Sava had a different idea. The Argentine striker, who arrived at Craven Cottage in 2003, celebrated his goals by producing a Zorro mask from his sock and putting it on his face.

The remarkable thing is not that he did it once. He did it repeatedly for each of his six goals, with total commitment. Sava was not embarrassed. Sava was not having a laugh. Sava was Zorro.

Some players leave a legacy through trophies. Some through records. Facundo Sava left one through sheer, unapologetic eccentricity. Fair enough.

2. Aboubakar Kamara

Most footballers, when their team wins a penalty, stand back and let the designated taker do their job. It is a simple arrangement. Everyone knows the rules. Aboubakar Kamara did not feel bound by simple arrangements.

His defining Fulham moment came when he grabbed the ball and stepped up to take a penalty that was not his to take, with Aleksandar Mitrovic the designated taker and very much aware of this fact. Kamara’s pen was saved, which of course made everything worse.

The two of them would clash again, in rather different circumstances. During a team yoga session in January 2019, Kamara was reportedly joking around during the class. Mitrovic told him to be quiet. What followed was a full training ground brawl that apparently ended with Kamara being arrested, banned from the training ground, and eventually shipped out on loan to a Turkish club to see out the season.

He had a fight with his teammate. During yoga. Because he would not stop talking.

3. Zat Knight

The problem with being 6’6” and playing professional football is that when it goes wrong, everyone notices.

Knight was a player of genuine extremes. When he was good, he was imposing and commanding, and you wondered why he wasn’t a regular England centre-back for years. He did get England caps, which still surprises people when they remember it.

When he was bad, though, he was very bad in a way that felt physically amplified by all that extra limb. Every misjudgement covered more ground. Every slip had further to fall.

His Fulham career was a fair summary: flashes of quality, moments of chaos, and an overall impression of a player who was always slightly more entertaining than he probably wanted to be. Also never landed a single through ball anywhere other than the Hammy or Putney ends for a goal kick.

4. Collins John

Collins John arrived at Fulham’s academy as a teenager, which is the promising part of this story. He was the kind of raw, energetic striker clubs invest in early and hope will click. He represented the Netherlands at youth level, the talent was real.

He never quite clicked at Fulham as much as his (inverted) namesake, John Collins. What followed was a career of relentless movement. Club after club, loan after loan. The exact number of clubs he played for requires a Wikipedia tab and a moment to collect yourself.

A true highlight of his time in black and white - that overhead chest then volley vs Middlesborough. Still not convinced it was him.

5. David Elm

“If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

The giant Swedish forward signed in January 2013 under Roy Hodgson. That is a verifiable fact. He was registered. He had a shirt. Beyond that, things get hazy.

Elm made a handful of appearances, contributed nothing particularly memorable, and departed without fanfare. Proud to say I saw him on the pitch once (I think). He is the footballing equivalent of a name you recognise but cannot place. There is something quietly impressive about reaching the Premier League and leaving almost no trace. Most people fail loudly. Elm failed in a kind of serene, whisper-quiet way that deserves, in its own strange manner, a degree of respect.

He exists now primarily as a punchline or an answer on pointless. Possibly more than he bargained for.

We’re staring out over an extended international break still looking for our first win of the season. Our 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United moved us off the foot of the table on goal difference, but this is still miles below what many of us had hoped for during the summer.

When Arbeloa was hired there was a real mix between fans of what success looked like. Europe? Mid-table stability? Avoiding the drop? The outside noise certainly added to the frenzy but now we’ve got a chunk of games under our belt, how would we calculate success for Arbeloa this term?

A monumental October

Following Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace there was a stunned silence at the Cottage. “What the f**ing hell was that?” was the cry from the Hammersmith End, and with Liverpool and United following it felt like going into the international break on a dreaded zero points could be a reality.

To be fair to Arbeloa and Fulham, the tide seems to be turning slowly. A positive stalemate at Anfield and a point that was so nearly three against Manchester United leaves room for optimism, but next month feels vital.

After the break we go to Ipswich, host Hull and travel to Coventry and while two of the three newly promoted sides have started well, Fulham simply have to get a a decent chunk of points from these games. This feels like a litmus test for Arbeloa, and with an extended break he and Fulham have time to work things out that still need to be improved and we need to come out of the traps flying.

I’m not too concerned by the fact we currently sit in the bottom three; the league table changes so quickly at this stage of the season and a positive up-turn in those three games changes the complexion of the season.

There’s also a small matter of the Carabao Cup Round of 16 at home to Crystal Palace crammed into these three vital league fixtures. Just because we need to perform in the league, I don’t want to see us throw away any opportunity of cup glory. We have a torrid record at home to the Eagles and a win here to push us into a quarter final of a cup competition will help alleviate pressure on the Spaniard.

Fulham are desperate for a cup and I think it would be telling of him as a coach if he chooses to play a weaker side against a Crystal Palace side we’ve already lost to this season. We must attack this next month on all fronts, because if we don’t, we may not be having any conversations about him come the November break.

Learning on the job

As well as points on the board, I (like many I’m sure) want to see Arbeloa continuing to learn and improve as a coach. We saw as real shift from that Crystal Palace game to when we went to Liverpool and while it wasn’t perfect against United, a point isn’t bad. But he and Fulham are still far from the finished article.

We still conceded a whopping 29 shots to Michael Carrick’s side last Sunday and if it weren’t for some fortune from the woodwork and a few great saves from Bernd Leno, we could’ve easily seen that one point turn into none. David Affengruber looks like our man at the back and the midfield two of Charles and Berge should be that from here on out, we just need to ensure that the spine of the squad doesn’t get too interrupted in October and we continue to improve on a defensive standpoint.

Another thing that has left cause for concern has been Arbeloa’s decision making in games, with the subs against Manchester United perplexing many. I’m not sure bringing off Berge and Iwobi was the smartest decision in a game we were clearly looking to see out. Those changes invited pressure and disrupted our flow of the game. Hopefully, Arbeloa has learnt from this.

The end of the road

The success or failure of the Arbeloa experiment really does rest on this next month, with a poor return probably seeing him out the door. That being said, the way he’s changed things up following that Palace game gives me cause for optimism.

We seem to have found a settled line-up, and with Josh King purring we should be able to kick on. We do need to see others deliver more around him to help get service up to Garcia but I think we’ll do enough in these next four.

So, what does success look like come May? For me, ensuring we stay in the division feels like the first step and two wins from the next three would certainly make things seem a lot more solid.

After that, I’d love Arbeloa to take the cup seriously and really give it a go. One thing is for certain though, the pendulum seems to be slowly swinging in Fulham’s favour and we need to keep that momentum going.

Craven Cottage and Fulham FC have remained synonymous since the club bought the land on which the ground is built in 1894. But 2027 will see the 25th anniversary of a two-season period when we were forced to leave our beloved home and become lodgers at a club with which we had a chequered history.

Our spell at Loftus Road, home of Queens Park Rangers, saw us move a mere matter of a few miles. Yet the separation of Fulham from its historic ground upset many.

That said, on-field matters could have been worse: the first season in exile, 2002-03, saw us win the Intertoto Cup under Jean Tigana, his last successful act as manager before being replaced by former captain Chris Coleman. ‘Cookie’ took us to ninth place, then Fulham’s highest ever league placing, in his first full season and could have done better had star striker Louis Saha not been sold to Manchester United against his wishes in January 2004.

So why did Fulham leave? Although plans to redevelop the Cottage had led to local opposition, this was overruled by the government. Now-disgraced chairman Mohamed Al Fayed couldn’t make a business plan work on a 25,000-capacity Cottage, given the potential cost of the proposed development, so the club turned their attention to a new site in White City. This would allow the prime Thames-side site to be sold off, releasing much-needed capital. But the land belonged to two companies, one of whom refused to sell.

Fulham were victims of their own success. We had arrived in the Premier League in 2001 but had standing terraces behind both goals: in the post-Hillsborough world, this was not acceptable as a top-flight football club. After one season’s grace, we had no choice but to move.

QPR had recently been relegated and needed a tenant for financial reasons. As mentioned, Fulham stayed at Loftus Road for two campaigns until, in September 2003, plans for a return were announced. Pressure had been exerted by a supporters group formed that very year called Back To The Cottage, and one happy result of this victory was its transformation into the Fulham Supporters Trust. Regular dialogue between the club and the FST began in 2014 and continues today.

During the second season in exile, the Cottage saw work done to make it fit for top-flight football. Temporary seated stands were installed at the Hammersmith and Putney ends – they still exist today – while the standing enclosure which ran the length of the Stevenage Road (now Johnny Haynes) stand was also given seats. The result of this ‘make do and mend’ approach, club historian Dennis Turner said, was still “an anachronism, a ramshackle Edwardian edifice, but to Fulham supporters it was home.”

Fulham’s temporary exile was not as seismic as the events of early 1987, when a combined ‘Fulham Park Rangers’ club was mooted and Fulham FC as we know it faced an existential crisis. Yet separation from the Cottage and all it represents was an unhappy situation for fans to be in. We never had ‘flats on the Cottage’, but some cynics would say it was not for want of trying. Al Fayed realised taking us home ‘to the place we belong’ would earn him thousands of friends, and so it proved.

Since then, of course, the 20,000 capacity of the ground has been increased by the multi-purpose Riverside Stand, which will hopefully help Fulham FC compete financially in years to come. It also means that, despite the Khans’ failed 2018 bid to buy Wembley that preceded that development, our foundations remain firmly in SW6. Long may we ‘Live by the River’...

Sammy AF, Owen, and Jack Kelly review Fulham’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United as Mateus Cunha’s late deflected strike denied Alvaro Arbeloa a first league win in charge. We look at Fulham’s improved defence, some missed opportunities in the first half, Lisandro Martinez’s comedy own goal and Arboloa’s decision to revert to a back five in order to see out the game.

Fulhamish 10 Year Live Show with Kevin McDonald:⁠ ⁠https://tickets.halfmoon.co.uk/events...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or Pocket Casts

Guests:

Sammy James

Jack Kelly

Owen Macdonald

Adam Farquharson

Producer:

Sammy James

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After the Crystal Palace result, I think if you’d offered me a point from both Liverpool and Manchester United, I’d have taken it.

However, I wouldn’t say I’m ecstatic about yesterday’s result. It feels a bit like a missed opportunity after taking the lead, and especially because I think this United team are not very good.

I’ve got some concerns; Manchester United’s 26 shots, 17 of which came from inside our box, is worrying, and if it wasn’t for a combination of some profligacy from their forwards, and some great work from Leno, we could have lost this game.

We did have chances of our own, but the way we retreated in the last 15 minutes and the fact we look knackered towards the end of every game was disappointing to see.

Despite all of that, you can’t help feel harshly done by when you concede a deflected equaliser in the 89th minute; that’s bad luck that we didn’t need.

Bernd Leno

A vintage Bernd Leno performance. A couple of superb saves, one from Lisandro Martinez, the other from Bryan Mbeumo, were a big reason as to why we didn’t lose this game.

I’ve been critical of him for a while now, as have many others, so for him to produce a performance like that makes me happy, and gives me a bit of hope too. 9/10 - man of the match

Timothy Castagne

I thought Castagne was one of the players who really benefited from the gung-ho football Arbeloa started the season with. He was given the remit to relentlessly get forward and impact the game in the final third.

However, one of the tweaks to give us more solidity has been forcing Castagne to play more of a holding role, sitting much deeper. I think it’s the correct move for the team, but it doesn’t suit Timo as much and feels much more like a Kenny Tete role. He did fine, but not much more than that. 6/10

David Affengruber

A performance that proved his man of the match display at Anfield wasn’t a fluke. Him and Bassey together looks like they could be a really good pairing.

I was struck once again by his ability on the ball, in particular the way he wraps passes through the lines, into the feet of our attackers. It cuts out the opposition press and gets us running at their back line; it’s really effective.

Was probably lucky that Matheus Cunha stays on his feet before squaring it to Bruno Fernandes, who hit the post, in the first half, otherwise I think it’s probably a penalty. However, he’s incredibly unlucky that it’s his deflection that saw Fulham concede late. Football eh? 7/10

Calvin Bassey

Every week I talk about what a fantastic leader Calvin Bassey is, so I apologise as it’s probably getting a bit repetitive. But Calvin Bassey is a fantastic leader.

He does brilliantly for the goal, both to win the ball back and then show the attacking intent to make something of it. It’s something he did all game. It can be both quite affronting and exciting to look up and see that your centre back is making a driving run into the box, but I thought he added real threat and picked the right moments to make those runs.

He’s a huge asset and quickly strengthening a claim to be my favourite player in the squad. 8/10

Antonee Robinson

He struggled in that first half against Mbeumo; it looked like he was being done for pace and strength, and at times outwitted too. The second half was better, and we looked more solid down his flank, however, I don’t think he was quite able to contribute in the way that he wanted to in the final third. 6/10

Shea Charles

Not as silky in possession as we have become used to in his early Fulham career. He felt a bit sloppy at times on the ball, with a couple of bobbly touches and misplaced passes.

However, I thought his big contribution was out of possession. The defensive awareness that he shows and the ability to sniff out danger were vital. Particularly as that game got deeper, he was always the man who was on hand to intercept cutbacks and crosses into the box and really helped out our backline.

We can talk a lot about the tweaks that Arbeloa has made tactically, but simply by playing Shea Charles, he has added far more balance to the side. 7/10

Sander Berge

We’re starting to see signs of the player that we know he can be. He’s always very composed in possession and very rarely gives the ball away, but particularly since he’s been paired with Shea Charles, he looks more effective out of possession.

I think it stems from knowing he can trust his other midfielder to support him, and it gives him a bit more of a licence to be more expansive. The fact that he finally had a shot on target is testament to this and very positive to see.

I don’t think he should have been subbed off when he was, and we could have done with a bit of his composure in those last 15 minutes when our backs were against the wall. 7/10

Oscar Bobb

I think we all hoped that his goal midweek at the London Stadium would help instil a bit of confidence in Oscar Bobb and see him impact the game in a greater way.

Unfortunately, I thought yesterday was a bit of a typical Bobb performance in the Premier League, where he looked tidy without really producing anything of note.

His one memorable moment was after a good piece of work that saw him create space for a shot, only to drag it wide. I probably want him to do slightly better from that situation. 5.5/10

Josh King

Another good performance, but probably the first time this season where he didn’t look, by far and away, our best player. I thought United kept him reasonably quiet, but he has a fantastic ability to still pick up pockets of space, get on the ball in dangerous areas, and really panic opposition defences.

Sammy mentioned recently that the clear next step for Josh is to start being more clinical, whether that be in front of goal or creating chances in the final third. He does so much brilliant work, and it’s just that extra 1% or 2% difference that will see him consistently start scoring or providing assists.

I’m certain he’ll get there, but that next level of Josh King probably would have scored yesterday with either one of those chances that he had at the back post in the first half.

It’s also evident that it’s an incredibly physically demanding role for him, and his best work seems to always happen within the first 60 minutes of a game. He significantly fades towards the end as he continues to build up his physicality. 7/10

Alex Iwobi

Watching back the highlights, I was struck by how Alex Iwobi was involved at the heart of pretty much every opportunity that Fulham created.

This role on the left flank is made for him; something in between a winger and a central midfielder, which perfectly describes Alex as a player.

Five chances created, not a single misplaced pass. He’s an incredibly intelligent footballer, and I think it’s a testament to his quality that the two managers he’s had at Fulham consistently find ways for him to be a starting player because of the quality he possesses.

Similar to Berge, I wouldn’t have subbed him off because his composure on the ball was something we really missed in the dying embers of the game. 7.5/10

Gonzalo Garcia

After an electric start to his Fulham career, I’m starting to see that Gonzalo still has a way to go before he’s a Premier League bagsman.

He struggles in the physical battles with opposition centre-backs, and maybe that’s harsh because, against Harry Maguire and against Liverpool last week, he’s coming up against some of the most physically imposing defenders in the league. However, he struggles to make life difficult for them by just being a bit too lightweight.

I’d also like to see him stay more central and be a threat in the penalty area, as he has a tendency to drift wide too frequently, and we lose our box threat. He had a couple of half chances, and he probably should do better with at least one of them.

He only managed 17 touches all game, which shows just how much he struggled to make an impact. 5.5/10

Substitutes and manager

Given the way Fulham set up tactically after our substitutions, I think it’s quite tricky to fairly evaluate any of the subs. We had so little possession towards the end of that game that no one really made an impact.

I thought Kevin looked lively, but he really doesn’t look comfortable on that right wing.

I’m not sure it was the right scenario for Cesar Palacios to be subbed on as we tried to see the game out, as I mentioned on the Quick Take.

Then Larsson, Muniz, and Andersen were all subbed on too late to give a proper rating to anyway.

Alvaro Arbeloa

An unchanged XI from our point at Anfield shows that Alvaro is starting to work out who his best 11 players are and how they fit into one team.

There’s undoubtedly a better balance and structure over these past two games, and it has to be acknowledged that points against the Big Six should never be sniffed at.

However, yesterday really feels like a missed opportunity, and to be winless going into the international break is not a great feeling.

The first improvement that we asked for from Arbeloa was to find a less kamikaze way of playing football, and he’s managed to do that. The next thing I’d ask of him is to work on how he changes things during games. I thought his substitutions were detrimental to our performance, particularly taking off Berge and Iwobi, and I thought we sat far too deep when trying to see the game out.

I hope he learns from this as well, but we did feel like the architects of our own downfall in this game.

Things are certainly better than they were after three games, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do. 6/10

Finally, just a word for Peter Bankes, who I thought officiated the game woefully.

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Fulham are spared the ignominy of entering the international break in last place with a 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Our old friend Own Goal made its way onto the scoreline following some clumsy defending by Lisandro Martinez following a bolstering effort from Calvin Bassey, but a tricky closing thirty minutes that saw us take our best attackers off and switch to a back five left Fulham under heaps of pressure, realised when a shot flashed at goal by Matheus Cunha took a deflection off David Affengruber’s foot and curled into the net. Though it’s tempting to draw ire at the team losing a late lead, the sterling efforts of Bernd Leno kept us afloat throughout the game, and Arbeloa’s wait for a first win will take longer should we fail to address the creeping defensive shortcomings in the team.

First Half

Both sides started this game in uncomfortably low positions, with Arbeloa’s side left at the foot of the table following Coventry’s first league victory and Michael Carrick already feeling the heat after early results failed to capture the imagination. Perhaps with knowledge of the danger a poor result before the international break might pose, there was no initial rush to action. Much of the early game took a slower feel, the two teams enjoying spells of possession without really splitting the defences in front of them. An early Fulham move saw Bassey feed Robinson, sneaking past Dalot, who moved the ball down to Garcia, producing a shot that skittled along the ground and wide. For the visitors, Tielemans took a moment of space to whip a ball into the post, where Affengruber leapt well to block Fernandes’ header, and the resulting corner produced a couple of volleys for Martinez, the better of which needed a sprawling dive from Leno to save.

These attacks, amidst a flow of gentle play, started to whet the appetite of the two outfits. The green of the Cottage looked ripe for goals, and the confidence of King was high - with Rashford’s less-than-stellar backtracking, he attacked along United’s left channel, forcing Shaw and Martinez to cede set-pieces as they stopped him. On the left, a cool run from Charles saw him withstand a Tielemans challenge and feed Iwobi, who curled a ball around Dalot and the defence into the box - Garcia reached it first, but his left foot produced a wayward touch that flew away from the target.

Of course, our defending needed to be sharp as well. United’s pace was worrisome, and seeing their forwards move forward made us slink back to our box, leaving space further back for players to use the ball pragmatically. Robinson had a close call when he fumbled a challenge on Mbuemo, letting the winger steal into the box and lift a ball for Rashford - we were fortunate not to concede a penalty, or that Rashford smacked his header off-target. Robinson’s wobbles helped them forge creative license on the right; a Dalot effort cutting onto his left fizzed narrowly wide of the post, and shortly afterwards Mbuemo slipped Cunha into the box behind the charging left-back, the Brazilian taking the ball around a slipping Affengruber and cutting it back for Fernandes, whose shot spun onto the post before being cleared by the ever-alert Bassey.

Hitting the woodwork seemed to spur Fulham into a bit of life, and we had a flurry of chances in response. Our centre-backs were composed on the ball and continually found Fulham men in the right places - a Bassey pass to Iwobi, enjoying himself on the left, let him cross the ball over the defence to the aforementioned vulnerable United-left, where a well-timed King run let him control a bouncing ball for a first-time shot; Lammens was solid with his stop. The Nigeria international glided forward again, Robinson overlapping to lift the ball to Garcia - another hideous miskick denied the keeper being called into action until Berge’s follow-up effort was stopped, and a similar connection along the Fulham left gave Bobb the ball in front a dawdling Maguire, but again the shot was steered wide.

United came forward, the adrenaline of watching Fulham kick into gear kicking in, and Rashford’s work on the ball drew players away from Cunha, who blasted a shot at goal - it looped up off Berge and required another acrobatic dive from Leno to push away from goal. But the corner, well-defended by a Castagne header before Shaw and Mainoo had impulsive long-shots blocked, produced a Fulham counter - Bobb leading the charge as we entered United’s half, moving it wide to the ever-creative Iwobi, who shifted play to the undetected King again, wriggling away from Shaw in the box with a great touch before drilling the ball along the ground towards the far-post. Lammens used his feet well to push the ball from danger.

It was end-to-end football - more bustle from Fernandes, eager to make the headlines, saw another blocked shot ricochet to Rashford, who played a delayed pass to Tielemans running into the box, watching on as the Belgian sliced a tame effort into Leno. He would rue his own wasted opportunity moments later - Dalot stepped up the ante with a move around Charles, surging forward and moving the ball centrally to Fernandes. Ever-alert, a single touch moved the ball leftwards to Rashford, free of Castagne and in range of goal, but his attempt to curl the ball around Leno travelled straight into the keeper’s arms again. Indeed, wastefulness was the theme of the hour as the half ended - Lammens was again on-point to smother Iwobi’s run into the box, his run through the backline architected by smart work from Garcia, and Rashford spurned yet another opportunity as a combination from Fernandes and Cunha unlocked Robinson to cross the ball to him, only to sail over the bar again.

Second Half

No goals and no changes to start the second half, only a yellow card for Josh King, earnt for making the most of an arm from Maguire at the end of the first, marked as a concrete alteration to the state of play. Much in the opening 45, the prettiness of the possession was betrayed by a lack of ruthless bite, all the pieces content to warm up the gears in the evening sun. Castagne joined King in the book for hauling Rashford down as he attempted to burst into an open Fulham half on the counter - the right-back was perhaps in fear of the forward’s pace, as a few minutes later a breakaway saw United reach the box, only the softness of the pass to Mbuemo letting Robinson read the play well and cut out the attack.

The half might well have started at the 60 minute mark for all the excitement in the game, but it was Arbeloa’s men that decided to seize the initiative and put the pressure onto the visitors. A loose header from Martinez let Berge capitalise on the languid movement of United’s midfielders, storming forward and moving the ball left to Iwobi, who registered the first shot of the half with a low effort deflected wide for a corner. With United camped in their own half, Iwobi moved deeper, playing a diagonal ball to the effervescent King, his dangerous run into the box producing a central pass that Maguire needed to deal with. But so many bodies in one space is dangerous to play your way out of, and a couple of risky passes from Fernandes and Mainoo proved fatal. Enter Calvin Bassey, a wall of muscle, to brush Cunha off the ball with ease. He strode forward menacingly, reaching the edge of the box before drilling a low shot at goal. Lammens’ save was less assured than previous efforts, the ball deflecting awkwardly off his legs, and the dopey footwork of Martinez saw the ball bounce off him and into the net.

An own goal to open the scoring was a treat for Fulham, who whilst better than United hadn’t played particularly scintillating football to suggest a peerless position. Indeed, our opponents wasted no time in search of a response, flying down the wings to try and crack open our defence. Charles was attuned to the situation to stop Rashford and Shaw’s combination finding a man in the box, and from the corner a short routine from Fernandes and Rashford let Mbuemo whip a shot towards the far post, Leno diving superbly to get a hand to it and steer it wide. The second and third corners it produced weren’t as dangerous, nor were the multiple crosses flung into the box by a seemingly omnipresent Bruno Fernandes, but the danger was clear and present for Arbeloa’s men.

Frustratingly, as many managers seem to do, Alvaro’s choice was to withdraw Iwobi, arguably our most dangerous creator on the ball so far. He and Bobb departed for Palacios and Kevin, intended to offer more energy around the pitch and pace on the counter - it only seemed to weaken what little grip we had on the game further, perhaps encapsulated by Rashford putting Kevin into the sidelines and moving into a dangerous spot within minutes of the Brazilian arriving. Indeed, it wasn’t long until Cunha was taking his own effort from the left, moving away from Berge and curling a shot towards the far corner, Leno again needed to push the ball out with a low dive.

In probably the last real opportunity Fulham had, some delightful passes from King and Palacios let Kevin accelerate and work himself down an exposed United left, cutting onto his own left foot and blasting a shot at goal that Lammens needed to push away. With United’s responding counter culminating in a weak Mbuemo effort through a sea of players, and Larsson arriving for Berge moments earlier, it might have been the time for Fulham to consolidate, holding the ball to keep United from building momentum. Instead, our other key performer, Josh King, departed with Garcia for Andersen and Muniz, moving us into a back-five and firmly planting the ball in United’s court. With Rashford withdrawn for Zirkzee, Mount introduced for Mainoo and Shaw swapped for Dorgu, our opponents suddenly had a wealth of players in our box for the pace of Dorgu and Fernandes all-seeing eye to try and find, without much opposition.

You can see the thought process, at least - with Affengruber and Bassey meeting each cross with a strong head, and Charles sweeping up many of the loose balls, it looked as though we might stay afloat to keep United beaten until the final whistle. Shots directly at goal had dried up, the space in the box limited, and as the game ticked towards the 90-minute mark the nerviest moment was from a corner, Leno flapping at a Fernandes cross and Maguire thumping the ball into Bassey’s arm. VAR didn’t gift United an equaliser, and Robinson’s relentless speed on the counter won Fulham time on the ball and a free kick from Cunha, a chance to try and eat away time in the game.

But Palacios’ kick was dire, giving United possession back in an instant, and with the ball swiftly moved back into our territory, the pressure told. Martinez sprayed a pass to Dorgu, who had the speed to find Cunha teeming for the ball. He made an angle against Kevin and fired a shot goalwards, too quick to be stopped by our wall of defenders, and Affengruber’s attempted block was a fraction too late, diverting the path of the ball further from Leno’s initial dive and into the corner of the net. Suddenly the character of the game changed - it was 1-1, and we were clinging onto a point. Dorgu had given Castagne kittens late into the game, and his crosses produced blocked shots and a flurry of late corners, the last of which almost won the game for the visitors. With everyone forward, a short routine was headed away timidly, Martinez collecting the ball on the edge of the box… he took a touch to create the shooting angle and struck at goal, only denied by the game-saving senses of Shea Charles, running across to block the resulting shot. It was enough for a point, and the drama ebbed to give both sides something from the game.

Leno leads the way

We’ve criticised Bernd Leno a lot in recent months, and not without reason, but the keeper certainly did enough to justify his starting place today. Outstanding reflexes and solid hands kept us in this game, denying numerous frightening attempts from around the box today, and he offered another reminder of why we’ve had so many consecutive seasons in the Premier League without serious concern. He has better centre-backs in front of him with Bassey and Affengruber, and it took misfortune from the latter’s deflection to take a clean sheet away from him today. On that topic, the pair were resolute for much of the match, limiting the chances United were able to create in the actual box and responsible for multiple progressive passes when on the ball. Bassey, of course, created the goal itself!

However, the defending around it was faulty, and once again an early advantage against Man United was squandered. You wonder whether it is a mentality issue, the inability to see out a leading position against this team, and when you look at the changes Arbeloa made it definitely contributes to the problem. Bringing Andersen, a player in a run of seriously poor form, into the action just to block shots and make clearances for 10-ish minutes, doesn’t inspire the confidence you need if you want slender results, let alone against a team with United’s record over us. Equally, there were nervy outings from several figures around the pitch - Robinson made far too many mistakes against a not-even-that-good-today Mbuemo and Castagne frequently had no idea who was operating along his flank. Whilst I like the Berge-Charles partnership and think the latter in particular looks a mainstay for this team, there were far too many efforts in which United players had the opportunity to eye up Leno, and in the portrait of the whole game it isn’t too surprising the goal eventually came.

In attack, it’s also a multi-faceted situation. Iwobi is relishing life on the left, with more freedom to drift around the attack and budding chemistry with his teammates, and created a wealth of opportunities for Fulham this afternoon. His versatility and composure on the ball should never be overrated, and is something more around the team could do with learning from. King also continues to shine, frequently the man taking the game up a gear with his attacking runs, and though a yellow card stains his outing his work-rate continues to build the pressure that leads to Fulham goals. The team worked hard across the game, and the work-rate seems to have improved following a sundry end to the previous season.

On the contrary, I thought Bobb was a little quieter than we might have liked on a left wing that really didn’t have the best protection. Garcia needed to do far more than what he produced with his spat of risible touches in the box - you need to be sharper than what he showed in this match, and one has to imagine he’ll work on his clinicality over the international break. The substitutes didn’t really get a chance to do much in attack, and it feels a little cruel to focus on them given this fact, though it would be nice to see them do more with the ball when they get it - Kevin, Palacios and Muniz have talent, but when applied with the abandon they did today it can’t be the game-managing shift we need entering the critical stages of the game. Draws aren’t turned into wins without it.

How is life at Old Trafford? From how Carrick is being written about, the axe isn’t far from his neck, and with 5 points from 5 games and an early cup exit there is some grounds for criticism about his team. Whilst Leno was responsible for keeping us ahead for much of the game, it’s also true that United have multiple talented shot-takers that wouldn’t be averse to testing the keeper from distance anyway - it isn’t exactly much of a plan to rely on it for goals, and the actual work in the box left a lot to be desired.

I like Rashford, but he wasn’t at his best today, unable to connect his pace to a lethal blow throughout the match and failing to capitalise on Castagne’s loose positioning. Mbuemo was similar, though had a worse-performing Robinson to go up against which masked the deficiencies in his outing. Cunha couldn’t take a strike in the box, but had a lot more success when operating in the wider areas, and similarly Bruno the deeper free-roaming creator was a better man than Bruno the chance-taker. Does it signal a lack of confidence in front of goal, an ability to consistently generate the danger needed to unpiece a defence and find the winning strike? Watching Mainoo and Tielemans, two talented midfielders, trundle around the park waiting for the action to happen suggests a lethargy is dogging the club in the opening weeks of the season.

Dorgu certainly helped liven things up when he arrived, and chasing the game against a retreating Fulham was always going to get the team playing better football, but it will hardly improve the mood of the Red Devils if their best efforts go into scraping late equalisers against 19th placed (!) Fulham. They have many of the right parts in the team, and I thought Lammens is a touch unfortunate Leno’s heroics will distract from his own fantastic efforts in goal, but the squad need to shake off the pre-season cobwebs and wake up to the energy of the league right now. Every team will have errors like Martinez’s cost them over a season - if you lack the dynamism, composure and energy to recover from it, the results won’t be much more effusive than this one.

Nevertheless, it is Fulham dropping points as much as Manchester United, and 19th is a rather ugly place to sit going into an international break. Our upcoming fixtures are both blessing and curse - three games against three newly-promoted sides might be a slew of points to “correct” our ranking from the early steps of the season, or a cold reality check for a Fulham side still yet to find a win in the domestic campaign. As ever, I choose optimism, and believe the club can build on the positives from across the first weeks of the campaign, but it will take a lot of work from Arbeloa and the team to find the right steps to do so. Perhaps the break is the perfect opportunity to do this.

Well, what a difference a week makes.

From a fanbase and a dressing room in disarray, to harmony and optimism as Fulham look to enter this long break in domestic action with three points.

Last week’s preview focused on whether we could get out of Anfield in a respectable manner, and that objective was achieved with aplomb. We added the icing to the cake with a win against West Ham in midweek.

As someone originally from Essex, there is nothing better than beating West Ham and the cast of Danny Dyers that go with it.

Fulham host Manchester United with two very respectable results behind them, and green shoots aplenty. The performance at Anfield was measured, solid and showed resolve – we could even have stolen three points if Gonzalo had leathered it. There was balance, physicality and fight; the team looked incredibly well prepared.

The London Stadium saw Fulham stroll in, take three leads and exit after 90 minutes of chaos. There was some lovely attacking football, but also some big question marks over the defending, particularly at set-pieces.

Onto United then, who’ve had a very smooth start to the season with [checks notes] Michael Carrick already under immense pressure to stop the slide.

A capitulation against Brighton in the cup becomes the latest mark against the Red Devils, who’ve also lost or drawn against Hull City, Everton and Manchester City. United were tipped to challenge Arsenal and City this year, but could it already be over?

Here are five things to look out for this week.

1. Is it must-win for both of us?

We spoke about Palace feeling like a must-win, but this really does feel like that territory for both sides – potentially for different reasons. Fulham are starting to show signs of life, a spirited performance at Anfield netted the first points of the season and they’ll be hoping for more. United, on the other hand, are vulnerable and need to stop the spiral. They’ve picked up one win all season and would have hoped for more – the pressure is already growing on Michael Carrick.

Alvaro Arbeloa was particularly complimentary of United, calling them one of the best teams in the world during his pre-match presser. He maintained that the Whites will have to be at their “best level, the same level we saw at Anfield” to get something from this game. Therefore, there is an expectation that the Spaniard will name the same unchanged team that started at Anfield. That same team showed some great promise, there was a balance to the midfield with Charles and Berge working well together, the structure held firm and there were periods where Fulham looked dangerous on the counter. Josh King, in particular, leading the charge. Surely, it’ll only be a matter of time before he gets an England call up.

United’s start has been bleak. Mauled by the Tigers, a meager draw at Everton and a controversial defeat to City, it’s not been great. But the biggest blow was the catastrophic collapse against Brighton in the Carabao Cup, sparking the media into a frenzy. Ahead of this extended international break, Carrick will want – and need – to get three points to shut the critics up. Arbeloa will want three points to keep the momentum going.

2. Battle of the set pieces

This feels very last-season to talk about set-pieces, but this might be where the game is won or lost for the Whites.

Defending corners and free-kicks has presented an issue all season, Liverpool were at their most dangerous when utilising them and West Ham scored two from them in midweek.

Fulham are employing a mixed zonal & and man-marking approach to corners, but look susceptible to set pieces that attack the front post. It’s not ideal when Munoz, the smallest player on the pitch, is winning headers. Opponents have consistently crowded out Leno, which makes the need for more physicality increasingly prominent – Bassey, Berge and Charles need to provide more protection in the box. This will be even more important with Harry Maguire, Sesko and the boys coming to town.

Interestingly, there were only a handful of centre-backs smaller than Bassey and Affengruber this weekend, which demonstrates the Premier League’s transition for size and physicality over technical ability. (Thanks Dan Goga-Cooke for that one!)

3. Managing the transitions

Fulham did a commendable job of this last weekend, against a side that pose significant in wide areas on the counter. They’ll have to do more of the same this weekend, but up against a different style.

United have been at their best this season when games open up; they feel comfortable working into a space and exploiting pockets through the transition.

Bryan Mbuemo came to life against Everton when the game became stretched. As we well know, the ex-Brentford man is at his most dangerous when given space to use his pace. Matheus Cunha, who loves a goal against Fulham, also excels in these situations. The importance of cutting passing lanes and balancing forward commitment will be key to a result. As much as they feel vulnerable right now, United do have the players who can pick off teams when given time and space.

Expect to see the returning double pivot of Charles and Berge as Fulham aim to close the distribution channels, and out-muscle a midfield that is designed to play and pass through teams rather than run through them. Also look for Fulham to pressure in bunches, the high-pressure swarm tactics created chances against Liverpool and West Ham, and the method behind it looks to be clicking for the Whites.

4. Bobb’s breakout

The Norwegian finally netted his first goal for Fulham this week, and it’s about time too. There’s been a mixed feels about Bobb since his arrival from Manchester City, but the promise has certainly been there. His ability to float with the ball and create danger on the transitions has been one of the keys to our success in attack.

Yes, the shooting has lacked at times – and perhaps he was lucky against West Ham – but the balance he has provided with Castagne on the right has been good. The link-up play with Josh King has been far better though and they have become Fulham’s focal point.

While Bobb is rightfully gaining plaudits, it isn’t just him who is showing signs of breaking out. Oscar Palacios registered a goal and an assist on Tuesday, and his game is showing signs of vast improvement – timing, vision and positioning are all improving immensely. His confidence to come inside and create triangles with King and Garcia, or King and Bobb have been a welcome addition. While Iwobi is fit, I don’t see Palacios starting for now, but perhaps the time and space was needed.

5. All change, please

Well this off-season we talked a lot about the end of the road for Joachim Andersen. And a handful of games into the season, it feels very true. Outclassed in every game, looking slow and with poor decision making – this is a different Joa to the one we’ve been used to seeing. So out with the old guard and in with the new: David Affengruber, who looked fantastic against Liverpool. His speed and distribution look good, and he held his own next to Calvin Bassey. Excited to see more of the Austrian.

And one member of the old guard making a comeback is Alex Iwobi. I’m so here for it – the Nigerian gets a hard time, but he offers a lot: great movement, positioning and workrate. Coming inside off the left wing suits him, and it gives Antonee Robinson more opportunities, he can use the ball well and is a creator. His experience out wide helped bring balance against the Reds, and you’ll see it again this weekend. Iwobi also loves a goal against United, so here’s to another.

COYW!

We’ve all seen those clips from the Overlap doing the rounds over the last couple of days. Pundits Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright and Roy Keane discussing Fulham as if we’re a National League South side playing Manchester United this weekend. Neville saying we will really struggle this season. Boring, boring tables.

To Carragher’s credit, he points out that Fulham got a point at Anfield last week (anything to give Liverpool a mention) and beat West Ham in the Carabao Cup. That gives me reason to believe Fulham may be turning a corner, and after a struggling start, Alvaro Arbeloa may be starting to figure out the best way to utilise this Fulham side.

Neville may want to be careful with his words - and even he said “Watch this get clipped up on Sunday night”. Don’t worry Gary, it’s bookmarked. U

United have just the one league win so far, and some would argue, for the quality and players they have, their resources, the money they’ve spent - they’ve had a worse start to the season than Fulham.

Manchester United at home. The last win for Whites came in 2009. Since then, only a couple of draws, one being last season after Smith Rowe scored following United’s controversial opener.

I’ve watched more of Manchester United so far this season than Gary Neville has watched of Fulham. Their embarrassing 2-3 loss to Brighton from 2-0 up was a stark reminder of how vulnerable United still are. Albeit they made some changes, but in a desperate attempt to salvage the game, they threw on some of their big-hitters, who failed to make any impact.

Fulham are in better spirits. A goalless draw at Anfield which encouraged so many, followed up by a 2-3 win at the London Stadium to set up a Carabao Cup last 16 at home to ‘the pride of south London, the famous Palace boys.’

There are certainly huge, huge positives to take from the last seven days, and I’m confident to say that we won’t put on a second-half display like we did against Palace two weeks ago on Sunday.

Right, shall we get into the presser? Arbeloa spoke with the press this morning. Some bad news regarding Kenny Tete, who is concussed. Although, Ryan Sessegnon will be assessed after suffering a groin issue. TC is still out.

“Tom is still recovering. Tete won’t be available. We need to see if Sess is available for Sunday”, said Arbeloa.

“He will be training with us today and we will have to make a decision later.”

On Tete:

“Not available. It’s a concussion after the ball (hit him) in the Anfield game, so he’s still not available. I think he’ll be ready for an international break. Unfortunately, he’s not ready for a Sunday.”

Focussing on the game:

“After that victory against West Ham, I think it has been a good week for us and now we are preparing the game against Man United. We are still believing that we can beat them, if we play a very good match from the first minute. We know that we have to play at our best level, same level that we saw at Anfield and that’s our target.”

On the goals conceded against West Ham:

“We did really well against Liverpool. I think we defended well against West Ham, but when we scored, we conceded some easy goals for them, some easy situations.

“We cannot concede this goal, maybe we were relaxing a bit, I don’t know why. But we need to improve and we need to work in this type of situation because we were playing very well in the first half and we conceded two goals from nothing.”

On the fans:

“Our supporters are so important.We are really strong with them behind us. And yes, I think it’s an advantage for us. And we need to play a really high-intensity game.”

Josh King was on the verge of an England call-up according to Thomas Tuchel. It’s clear Arbeloa rates the 19 year old highly, and says he’s ready for a senior call up:

“I’m not the coach of the England national team, but I think Josh is ready, the way that he’s performing. I don’t see too many players like him in this league. He’s just 19 years old but the way that he’s playing with the talent that he has. He’s a really hard working player and maybe he’s playing like he’s 26 or 28 years old. I think he’s making difference and I think he has the level to be in the national squad.”

Michael Carrick is under pressure. It’s the biggest game of the weekend in the Premier League, in my opinion.

There are some more quotes to come from AA across the weekend. Those can be found on my Patreon and X pages.

Enjoy your weekend, see you at the Cottage - and COYW!

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To celebrate ten years of Fulhamish, we are hosting a very special live podcast recording at the Half Moon Putney on Saturday 26th September with the one and only Kevin McDonald.

During the last decade, not many players have had a bigger impact on Fulham and we are delighted that Kevin will join us on stage to look back at those wild years when he was inside the dressing room and also get his take on the Marco years after his departure.

Also, there will be a chance for you to put your questions to Kevin in a section that won’t be published on the podcast feed.

Limited tickets remain via the link below and we would love to see you there. The show gets underway at 3pm and then we will all be sticking around at the Half Moon for post-show beers long into the evening.

https://tickets.halfmoon.co.uk/events/41e53214-cc3e-4887-aac8-b81c416abfa9

We would love to see you there for what promises to be a cracking afternoon with one of Fulham’s most iconic recent players.

There’s been a lot of talk over the last year or so about the performances of some of our bigger-name signings, and Emile Smith Rowe has beenat the forefront of them.

I don’t want this piece to come across as a pile on, but I’m sure he like Fulham fans will agree that since joining in 2024 for a fee that could rise to £34m it hasn’t quite gone to plan for ESR. Patience can only get everyone, so what does the future look like for the man who was briefly our record signing?

In his defence

Smith Rowe joined Fulham following a couple of years to forget at Arsenal. The now 26-year-old first emerged in the Premier League during the 2020-21 campaign, but really made a name for himself in 21-22. It coincided with Arsenal’s slow metamorphosis from a laughing stock into a Premier League-winning side.

During that season both him and Bukayo Saka were mentioned in the same breath, with ESR picking up 11 goals and two assists across the Premier League and Carabao Cup. But a few years of unfortunate injuries followed, and while Arsenal continued to improve, ESR began to stagnate. Limited game time both due to injury and the signing of Martin Odegaard meant that Smith Rowe failed to score in both 22-23 and 23-24, which meant he was out the door.

Emile joined Fulham under Marco Silva as one of many ‘Premier League outcasts’ with point to prove. It did start that way, with three goal involvements in Fulham’s first five that season. A darting run away at Everton resulted in an assist for Alex Iwobi, which perfectly illustrated how everyone wanted (and still wants) Smith Rowe to deliver. He ended the year with six goals and three assists - a very respectable return.

There’s evidently a player in there and even last season we saw some of the glimpses of it, with goals against Manchester United, Manchester City and Burnley. Smith Rowe also still time on his hands having just turned 26, so he’s hardly a write-off yet. I do like parts of what I see from him and there are litle flashes that show why at one point some Arsenal fans thought he was the answer to their problems, more so than Saka.

Stagnation

That being said, I mentioned stagnation in his days at Arsenal (albeit due to injury) and it does feel a bit like we’re starting to see this now at Fulham. ESR’s a player who’s often criticised for his workrate more than his goal output. West Ham on Tuesday night felt like a perfect summary of this. It was a decent opportunity for him to put himself into contention for the number 10 slot against a weakened Championship side, but like we’ve seen before with ESR he flattered to deceive.

When joining Fulham, he spoke about a desire to get back into that England team and I think we all thought that this signing had the making of being another Silva special; finding a diamond in the rough and carving out a good Premier League footballer. In many ways, I think we’ve done that. Smith Rowe is steady without being exciting and barring that one breakout year for Arsenal, his output numbers have been relatively consistent across his career. But steady isn’t enough.

I think Smith Rowe is a player who’s hampered by two things that ultimately will put pressure on him. Firstly, he was the first of a few big-money signings that Fulham have had over the last few years. Alongside, Berge, Andersen, Bobb, Kevin and Garcia. ESR cost a pretty penny and at a club like Fulham, you want results.

Secondly, the emergence of Josh King has restricted him (as we are seeing this season) to get a good number of regular minutes in the first team and as a result is stifling that progression. This isn’t me saying I want him to start over Josh King because King is showing to Smith Rowe a blueprint of how to be a successful number 10.

I don’t want this to come across as me deflecting responsibility away from Smith Rowe because ultimately the buck stops with him. Arbeloa clearly adores King for both his ability in the final third but also that workrate and desire to get the ball back when other teams are in transition – two things that Smith Rowe is failing to do for Fulham.

Where do we go from here?

I don’t think that Smith Rowe’s career at Fulham is over yet. I’ve highlighted in this article the good that he has provided for both Arsenal and Fulham in the past. But I do think that with King continuing to develop at pace, Smith Rowe’s stock will continue to drop.

I wonder if come January/next summer we look to cash in. We spent a hefty chunk of change on ESR and in a footballing world that is heavily dictated by the books, we could look to get back as much of that as we can while we can.

Especially when you consider some of the assets we also spent big on (Berge/Andersen) are starting to reach an age where you can’t get that type of outlay back. Smith Rowe still has time on his side and has shown enough to other Premier League clubs (particularly those that come up from the Championship) to take a gamble. Ultimately, we want the boy to succeed, and if it can’t be here, then maybe it has to be elsewhere.

Sammy and Jack are back to discuss Fulham finally getting on the correct side of a 3-2, as the Whites progressed to Round 4 of the Carabao Cup with a win over Championship side West Ham at the London Stadium. The boys discuss some key standout performances, as well as where Fulham still need to make adjustments. In Part 2, they look ahead to Manchester United’s visit to the Cottage on Sunday.

Guests:

Sammy James

Jack Collins

Producer:

Freddie Cooper

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The Arbeloa experiment is working! What were we all worried about?

I jest, of course. We were far from perfect yesterday, letting our lead slip twice, but we were comfortably the better side at the London Stadium, beating the side that’s 21st in the Premier League away from home. Here’s how the boys did in East London.

Benjamin Lecomte

The man described by someone on X last month as looking like a “French ghost” (don’t ask me why, but it just makes sense) signed a new deal at the club to little fanfare this week. He could do little about Morato’s close-range header for West Ham’s first, despite getting a touch on it. Palmed the ball into the path of Pablo for his second - but there were others who must shoulder more blame for that debacle. 6/10

Antonee Robinson

Was involved in a lot as 95% of our attacking output went down the left. Had decent chemistry with Palacios, with a pre-assist for our first and some decent interplay with the Castilla grad that saw Jedi shoot narrowly over the bar. Was far too slow to get to Walker-Peters, setting up WHU for their second and his crossing still leaves a lot to be desired. But if he could do it all he’d be playing for AC Milan, wouldn’t he? 6.5/10

Jorge Cuenca

A solid, if unremarkable night in the increasingly less problematic LCB role. Didn’t notice much from him, despite us conceding twice - unsure what that means to be honest. A decent understudy to Captain Calvin. 6/10

Joachim Andersen

His perfectly-pitched diagonal ball to Palacios was his biggest contribution and showed Joa at his best. No one covered themselves in glory for West Ham’s second just before half-time, but overall, not a bad showing. Half a point off for a clumsy challenge on the edge of the box that really should’ve been a pen from where I was sat. 5.5/10

Timothy Castagne

Timmy continues to adapt well to Arbeloa’s edict to stay tighter to his fellow defenders, even if it throttles our attacking potency on the right. Did ever so well to stop Manor Solomon in the second half after Angel was bashed off the ball - and saved the game with a block from Castellanos late on. The right-back berth is seemingly his whatever the competition. 8.5/10 - man of the match

Hugo Larsson

The Swede was the player everyone wanted to take a look at tonight as he made his first start in White. I’m not entirely sure what I think yet. Some good moments are peppered with some misplaced passes - like a cat with trimmed whiskers he seems to lose his sense of position. Did OK, but not enough to challenge for a starting place in the league yet. More to come, I suspect. 6/10

Harrison Reed

Ah, Harrison. His contribution to the game will be remembered for his misplaced clearance that ultimately led to West Ham’s equaliser in the dying embers of the first half. But for the rest of that half he was typically solid and industrious, showing his importance to this squad that’s getting increasingly younger. I still love ya, Reedy. 6.5/10

Cesar Palacios

Say what you want, but Cesar keeps growing into this Fulham side. Another decent performance from him, capped by a assist and a goal. First, his cut-back for Muniz’s opener was cool as a cucumber, and his finish from Andersen’s pinpoint ball was even cooler. Yes, he’s not the most heavyweight of players, but he’s got a footballing brain and feet to match. I think he’ll be just fine. Have to dock half a point for his late miss; so many extra touches - I thought he was going to run it to the corner flag. Look up, son! 7.5/10

Emile Smith Rowe

I don’t want to pile on, so I’ll keep this one short. I don’t think I even know what an on-form ESR looks like anymore. It’s more than a lack of confidence; it feels like a lack of drive. He had that drive at Arsenal, so why not here? My garden gnome would have done more to try and beat Mavropanos in the air in the build up to West Ham’s first. 5/10

Kevin

Rough night for Kev. Similarly to Bobb at Anfield, our new defensive set-up leaves our right winger a bit isolated. Then Morato did the rest, keeping the Brazilian quiet all evening. The talent is there and time is on his side, so I’m not too worried. 5.5/10

Rodrigo Muniz

How sweet it is to see everyone’s favourite Samba star double last season’s tally in just his second start of the campaign. I said earlier this week that we need both strikers contributing equally this term and now they’ve both got two goals each. I’m not sure I’d start him in the PL just yet, but our boy is warming back up. 7/10

Substitutes and manager

Shea Charles

I’d love a team of Shea Charleses. He’s so silky, so composed, and simply slots in wherever and whenever he’s asked. Look forward to seeing him back in from the start against United. 7/10

Manuel Angel

Mami pequeño! Unbelievably small, but like Palacios, looks like his footballing brain offsets what he lacks in height. Got bodied more than once, including before he’d even touched the ball, leading to Solomon’s chance, but had lots of tidy touches - and you can see the almost telepathic relationship he has with his fellow Madristas, which is exciting. 6.5/10

Josh King

The big winner of the Arbeloa era so far, Josh provided fresh legs at a crucial time, and capped off his cameo by nudging the ball into the path of Bobb, who did the rest. 7/10

Gonzalo Garcia

A couple of half chances he’ll have wished to have done better with, but he looks like a forward who’s ready to bag a few. Perhaps on Sunday. 6/10

Oscar Bobb

Bobb has arrived! It was a joy to see his drive into the box and finish with aplomb - it’s what we’ve been asking for since arrival. It’ll give him much-needed confidence ahead of Sunday’s crucial game. Delighted. 7.5/10

Alvaro Arbeloa

His two wins as Fulham boss have come in the League Cup, but this one will buoy him more than the W over the Dons in the previous round. I keep mentioning Manchester United on Sunday, but honestly the draw at Anfield followed by a confidence-boosting win on Tuesday really puts us in a good spot against a United side that is also struggling in the league.

I’m still not convinced by AA’s in-game management. Some of his substitutions in particular baffle me. Obviously that sounds odd when one of his changes bagged the winner, but I’m not sure changing both central midfielders at the same time just after the hour mark was the best use of a double substitution. Nit-picking probably. Overall, I’m feeling good about our Spanish ruler. 7/10

Another round, another victory for Alvaro Arbeloa as Fulham walk away from the London Stadium with a 3-2 victory over West Ham. Two leads were squandered and the defending needs a serious investigation again but our attacking football shone throughout the evening as Oscar Bobb’s first goal in white built on first half strikes from Muniz and Palacios to help the club qualify for the fourth round of the League Cup. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team might be in the Championship but they posed a serious obstacle tonight, and it took some fine play from the team to make their quality count across the game.

First Half

West Ham’s decade of discontent at the London Stadium caught up with them via last season’s relegation but our opponents fielded a side with familiar top-flight faces - we would have a sterner test waiting for us than our dominant victory over Wimbledon. Possession was our early ally, letting an almost entirely changed XI coast through the opening minutes on the ball. Kevin was busy, if a little clumsy, taking on full-back Morato along our right. An early corner won through his footwork saw Reed’s delivery find Smith Rowe in the box, but the playmaker’s effort was tame and comfortably cleared by the defence.

Offering so little only invites pressure though, and Nuno’s men soon met their consequence. A long string of passes unravelled West Ham’s set-up - from Andersen at the back, to Larsson moving the ball through the lines, Muniz shifting play wide and Kevin lifting the ball over Morato and the box to Robinson on the other flank, Fulham reached the box with West Ham unnerved. Palacios ran between an unaware Walker-Peters and Mukasa to penetrate the exposed flank and crossed the ball to an unopposed Muniz, who headed the ball into the gaping net. It was a reminder of the beauty and effectiveness of possession play. West Ham were made to look rudderless and passive through manipulating the ball, and the lead was ours…

…for a couple of minutes, as our wretched defending reared its ugly face again. A long ball from their goalkeeper led to a thoughtless Reed foul on Ajala, the free kick was cleared for a corner, the corner was cleared straight to Engels and at second-attempt the Belgian swung the ball to the far post, where Mavropanos leapt highest to knock the ball back across goal and Morato slammed his header into the goal. It was horrible to watch our defence abdicate any control of the game, letting West Ham swing deliveries into the box without a care until they found their goal, and be it Smith Rowe’s half-hearted attempt to intercept Mavropanos’s assist or the sleepy attitude of our centre-backs for the equalising shot, we’d blown our early advantage.

The ball was still ours, but with a lead squandered Fulham’s football without being ahead in the game felt more frustrating, cumbersome even. A shame, as there was still some nice football to watch, particularly with Palacios enjoying a lively evening. His work combining with Robinson on the left seemed fruitful, taking a Reed ball over the defence and turning into the box to curl a low shot that Herrick had to push out of the box. Another move saw him collect a forward ball from Larsson and drive at the defence with speed, his threaded ball through the centre-backs narrowly missing Smith Rowe. Yet small flaws, be it Kevin’s clumsy footwork or Robinson misplacing his crosses, kept us from restoring the lead. All the while, our vulnerability at the back lay in West Ham’s sights - a ball along the left collected by Ajala in the air was perilously close to producing a penalty, as Andersen barged the striker over on the cusp of the box.

Thankfully fate handed us a lifeline as Engels blasted his free kick over, and the danger seemed to pain Fulham enough to kick into action. Castagne dinked a ball over the midfield for Muniz, who laid it off for Reed; the midfielder took the ball to the box and knocked it forward for Palacios, whose effort was guided away by determined defending from a chasing Walker-Peters. But the route to goal was presented, and Andersen, perhaps seeking atonement for his near-miss, lifted an even deadlier ball over West Ham in entirety, Palacios storming beyond Walker-Peters and quicker than a trailing Orford to enter the box, poking his shot past Herrick into the far-corner.

2-1 could have been three, but for a painful few minutes for Smith Rowe. He’d given away a free-kick on the right in an eerily similar position to Andersen’s earlier, losing the ball to Kante and grabbing his leg in response. Engels kick, thankfully, was caught-well by Lecomte, and the subsequent counter-attack looked terrific, Robinson blasting into their half, playing a one-two with Palacios to overlap behind Walker-Peters and lifting the ball into the box… only for Emile, uncontested by a defender, to misread the bounce of the cross and swipe at thin air. Orford and Kante were not protecting their backline - another aerial ball was collected by Kevin behind them, slipped through to Muniz away from Morato, but the shot wasn’t accurate enough and Herrick used his body to block the shot well.

And at this moment in time, Arbeloa’s side cannot afford to waste chances. A hideous piece of defending between Cuenca and Robinson, in which a miscommunication turned Mukasa’s pass to Ajala into a shot at goal for the striker, needed a sliding block from the centre-back to keep from scoring, to say nothing of the good fortune in Kilman skewing his header from the set-piece wide. What should have been a composed final minutes of stoppage time turned into a farce, as several tame West Ham crosses were swatted away with abandon, Reed at one point slicing his clearance straight to an opponent. It let Nuno’s men set up base around our half, and with no defending to concern themselves with Walker-Peters etched forward for an overlap of his own. Mukasa fed the full-back, with acres of space away from Robinson he crossed the ball into the box, Kante’s flick goalwards was only marginally diverted from goal by Lecomte’s dive and Pablo was alert enough to slam the ball over the floored keeper for the equaliser, to dampen the mood right before the interval.

Second Half

A first half with four goals offered a lot for both managers to work with, but the game had an eerily familiar feel as the second half commenced, and the sight of Kevin fumbling possession against Morato soon stained the pitch. He had energy and pressed well, but his execution on the ball continually let him down, at one point smacking a pass to an unmarked Robinson straight out for a goal-kick. The control of the ball was not matched with a ruthless edge, and the chance to sculpt the half our way wasn’t taken.

Meanwhile, West Ham started to purr. Nuno had introduced captain Jarrod Bowen and former Fulham forward Manor Solomon at the break and after riding Fulham’s early waves their own attacking pieces started to click. Kante, popping up on the right, set the ball up for Bowen to swing a sharp ball into the box. Its bounce only eluded Pablo by a few feet - any touch would have rendered Lecomte unable to catch it. We fired back with another Andersen long ball, Robinson cruising into the box, playing a one-two with a delectable lay-off from Palacios and firing a missile with his weak-foot that Herrick had to tip over the bar. In response, West Ham dealt with our miserable corner and countered, Bowen running with the ball from his own half and needing Reed to track back with him to put the ball out of play.

Arbeloa made his own changes, refreshing his midfield with Charles and newcomer Manuel Angel entering the action, but West Ham’s striker swap saw Castellanos bolster the front-line, and the young Spaniard got a quick taste of life in England, barged off the ball by the striker. From it, a nippy Solomon propelled the hosts along the left, cutting into the box away from Cuenca and wrapping his right foot around the ball to shoot - Castagne slid well to block the shot. Bowen’s corner was good also, finding a lofty jump from Mavropanos, but his header bounced marginally wide of the post. The momentum was theirs, a more fearsome set of forwards prowling around in search of a goal, and with possession finally under their control the game looked likelier to fall to our opponents.

Of course, an advantage being a Premier League side provides is in depth. A bad Smith Rowe challenge on Kante earnt him a booking and a substitution, and with it Fulham’s A-team arrived: Oscar Bobb, Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia all on the pitch. It was as though a switch was flicked - we grasped the ball and the passing patterns reappeared, our energy revitalised with added quality and menace. Cuenca found Garcia in a patch of space and he moved away from Orford, holding off Walker-Peters to blast a show narrowly over the bar. Bobb wriggled along the right in style, linking with King to guide a ball across the box, Marvopanos on-point to stop Garcia’s touch manifesting into a shot. The pressure was mounting, possession winning territory, territory producing attacks, attacks earning set-pieces and the ball stuck in West Ham’s final third. Castagne found a right-sided Palacios on the overlap, the cutback was intercepted by Kante but King’s quick press won the ball back, and from it Bobb activated, dancing into the box with a string of deft touches, cutting onto his left foot to set up the angle and firing the ball at Herrick, unable to readjust his position quick enough to block the goalbound shot.

A third lead in the game as Bobb’s goal made it 3-2, but could we hold onto it this time? A through ball from Garcia to King into the box was shrugged off by Morato, dispossessing our young starlet, and at the other end Solomon’s quick thinking to lay a ball over-the-top to Bowen was spurned as the captain struck the ball into the stands. Nuno introduced Scarles and another forward in Piroe to turn the screw further, but our midfield refresh paid dividends - Charles was attuned to the heightened challenge, putting himself across the pitch with vital disruptions to play and keeping the play flowing for Fulham.

It helped limit the number of opportunities West Ham could forge in the closing minutes, a crucial fact given how close they came to scoring. A Bowen overlap away from Robinson let Walker-Peters play it through to him, moving into the box and playing the ball in front of the exposed defence to an unmarked Castellanos. It was a golden opportunity, but the shot was languid, and Castagne reacted excellently to stick a foot out and block the ball’s path. Indeed, it was our side with the greatest chance as the game reached stoppages, Mavropanos losing the ball with a bad pass to Herrick and needing a fast recovery to stop Palacios pulling the trigger until too awkward an angle to steer it on-target. As one last corner was headed clear, the game came to an end, and progress to Round 4 had been secured.

Promising attack, painful defence

Fulham are in the Premier League and West Ham are not; the quality of the attacking football demonstrates the gulf between the two sides. Cesar Palacios is a player Real Madrid had on their books and it showed - the swift, pacey play along the left, the ease at which he moved into the centre when the opportunity called for it and the fluid nature of his execution contributed to a fine evening of football, setting up Muniz’s goal delightfully and taking Andersen’s pass to make his own one afterwards. If he can build on this performance, he has a lot to offer the team in a number of positions; a MOTM performance.

Of course, the game did need the regular starters to seal the deal, so what about the rest? Muniz has a second goal in as many cup games, and one can never fault his enthusiasm and graft around the pitch, but it is also true that his header was fodder for any striker, and the other chances he had might have been a truer barometer of his finishing. Still, his link-up play was far better than Kevin or Smith Rowe, who endured difficult evenings. An evening of fast feet followed by little else is not only disappointing, but sadly far too frequent for our Brazilian winger. Emile, meanwhile, had a horrible evening, by far the least productive of the attacking unit whilst actively costing Fulham with his tackles at the back. The pair are Number 1 and 3 on our all-time transfer record list; nights like this make it very difficult to write positively about the pair, and though I genuinely believe a world where their enthusiasm, talent and application melds together and makes an interstellar attack for Fulham to unleash exists, it feels increasingly distant when their evenings frequently look like this.

The aforementioned bench did very well though. Bobb has his long-awaited goal and can hopefully use it to embellish his own football - the technical skill that can only come from training sessions with Pep Guardiola was on full display for his goal, and the chemistry he seems to revel in with King and Castagne along the right is surely worth a hatful of goals. I really like seeing Charles in a Fulham shirt - the man lives to stop and own the ball, and seems to be a critical player for us in midfield already. King is obviously brilliant, and Garcia’s energy makes him at worst a workhorse and at best a stallion on the hunt for a goal at any moment. Even Angel, who looked comically outsized early on, grew into the action, and with a little conditioning will be interesting to watch.

Further back, it’s a mixed bag. Larsson was quietly effective, linking play together nicely from deep, and for all Reed’s limitations his graft and determination when he puts on a Fulham shirt is priceless, quite literally keeping the scores level at times tonight. On the other hand, Robinson continues to blow hot and cold, linking really nicely with Palacios but scarcely able to find an attacker in the box, and the ramshackle defending from Andersen and Cuenca all evening made the game far harder than it needed to be. It is quite amazing to be praising Castagne as the best defender of the night but here we are - twice his blocks stopped goals in the second-half, both times covering his teammates’ blushes. If we are going to play the attacking football Arbeloa wants us to the defending has to be more competent, and the players have to be capable of keeping pace with the game - Cuenca and Andersen are a long way off providing that for us at this moment in time.

Instant return for West Ham?

What of West Ham? They provided a contest, and there’s a reason they’re top of the Championship - the team have a lot of quality left over from their Premier League days, and have enough all-round attributes to make the most of any situation. The set-pieces were a constant menace, the pace on the counter was dangerous, and with players like Bowen and Solomon on the wings it only takes a pocket of space for a player to cut-inside and curl the ball into the net. I’ve no doubt the team will be in the running for an instant return to the Premier League - few Championship sides look as well-stocked as West Ham did tonight.

Of course, it is worth tempering this with the fact that we should have gone two goals up on a fair few occasions over the game, in both halves, and put in a comedy of errors to gift an equaliser twice, despite there being feasible routes out of both situations. It was a competitive 3-2 but there was a gulf between the two sides, and Fulham should not let West Ham’s name distract from the fact their performance could have sent them out of the cup with fate landing another way.

I think, therefore, we can be pleased with the result tonight, but curious about the future. On the plus side, Arbeloa has navigated two cup victories, utilising his squad to get gametime for a lot of players and settle into his way of playing, all whilst having the team score numerous goals and look attractive in the process. On the other, the team needs some consistency to fix the litany of defensive errors happening in each game, and will need the whole squad to pitch in if it wants to find victories outside early round cup games against second-tier opponents. It’s a positive result tonight though, and we shall have to see if a tougher test lies next when the draw is made.