Monday’s loss is firmly in the rearview, but 90 minutes just aren’t enough to answer all my questions about this new-look Fulham side.
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long for our next trip to the Cottage and while normally I’d say the second round of the League Cup is the perfect excuse to play the kids, our first team is now mostly kids. And as such, there are a bunch of players I want to take another look at - from the Riverside, of course. It is the second round of the League Cup, after all.
1. Cesar Palacios
There’s an exciting - and potentially vital - player in Palacios, but he didn’t have the best night on Monday.
That’s not to say there weren’t flashes of what he could achieve in white this season. And he’s young enough and fit enough to play double duty this week.
His performance against Stuttgart got everyone talking, and in fact his whole preseason saw him shed his initial tag as “one for the future”.
Kevin is waiting in the wings, of course, an there’s a strong argument to start him against the Dons to build his confidence. But if Cesar is Arbeloa’s man, then his confidence probably comes first.
2. Rodrigo Muniz
Speaking of confidence, Gonzalo got his debut goal on Monday, and ran about so much he could do with resting up ahead of our trip to the Stadium of Light.
Rodri endured a horrid campaign last time out, netting just once. More than that, he lost his sparkle a bit when he got his (sporadic) chances towards the end of the season.
But, lest we forget, it was the arrival of Armando Broja in January 2024 that gave Muniz a kick up the backside and sparked his purple patch. Giving him a run out against League One Wimbledon could give us two firing strikers - wouldn’t that be nice?
3. Shea Charles
We can all agree that Berge and Iwobi didn’t work against Chelsea. It’s clear that Shea is the chosen man in the middle this term, he just needs to get up to match fitness. Enter the Carabao Cup .
Despite his comments to the contrary, Sander doesn’t seem to want to change and adapt to the Arbeloa era; we saw the exact same shot-shy, progression-resistant midfield passenger we endured under Marco Silva. Meanwhile, Charles is three times more likely to get the ball and drive forward than Berge, according to his stats last term.
I said on the pod this week that my jaw wouldn’t drop if Berge left during this window, so Thursday feels the perfect time to throw Charles in from the start.
4. Joachim Andersen
I’m increasingly convinced that Joa’s red card against Bournemouth was the death knell of his Fulham career. But he deserves a shot at redemption.
His suspension following the season-destroying loss to the Cherries came at the worst time, as he had to endure preseason knowing he wouldn’t be playing against Chelsea in the season opener. That’s allowed AA’s compatriot Jorge Cuenca to step in as de facto starting RCB.
But Cuenca’s less-than-impressive outing against Chelsea opens the door for Joa, despite reports that we’ll offload him before Septemebr if the opportunity presents itself. But, for now, we need to see what we’re working with.
5. Kenny Tete
If reports are to be believed, Fulham are in the market for a new right-back.
On the surface, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher. Timothy Castagne appears reborn under Arbeloa, thriving with his “licence to kill”. And Kenny Tete is still regarded as one of the more adept RBs in the league.
But both men are 30 years old - and in this era of youth, there doesn’t appear to be room for both of them, ancient as they are.
So, I guess this is a more sentimental inclusion. If we are entering the final couple of weeks of Kenny’ stay in "SW6, I’d love to see him one more time.
Great article Drew. I would argue ESR needs it more than Palacios. I think Emile didn't even look like he stood a chance of game time on Monday even though Josh was hanging out of his ar$e by the end.