A week ago, we thought that the scariest thing on Halloween was our trip to Villa Park. Aston Villa, who had been in the ascendence, were curtailed in their quest for three points by a Fulham team that made them look second best on the day.
That’s the third team in a row that have been made to look ordinary by the Whites, and off back-to-back wins and a draw, this team are quietly undefeated in three league games and have only lost once in their last six.
Credit where credit is due: Arbeloa and his team are slowly gaining some momentum and there are real signs that a style of play is coming together. We’ll touch on that later.
So then, onto Newcastle at home this weekend. This feels like a contest with a few similarities: young managers, systems taking shape, fans from both teams wanting results. Matias Jaissle was appointed manager late into the summer after the last-minute exit of Eddie Howe. The German walked into a changing room that sold several key players and rapidly added new ones towards deadline day.
Going through that much change was always going to be tough for the club and results have reflected that. Recently reports came out that hinted at Jaissle’s team not knowing their roles, understanding their styles and communication was often mixed. Newcastle certainly has dangerous players, but this should be a game that Fulham are aiming to secure their third win of the season in.
So, as we take on Newcastle United, here are five things to look out for.
1. Gonzalo coming good?
After an encouraging start to life at Fulham, Gonzalo Garcia is experiencing the first goal drought of his young career. This will be the Spaniard’s first real test: how will he maintain the confidence in his own ability to get back on the scoresheet? There are certainly some encouraging signs; he continues find good positions and the ball is falling to him in the box – just not for him.
As Drew wrote about this week, there is a certain stat that rhymes with XP, which suggests that Garcia is one of the biggest under-performers in front of goal this season. That suggests that what we see of him is true: he gets in the box, and he misses big chances.
My criticism of Gonzalo is that he seems to always be on his heels. Surprised, almost, that he might score. It’s me at Sunday League imagining myself on the front of my local newspaper before slicing the ball past the post. The glaring miss against Villa seemed to be case in point. He is due a goal though, and Newcastle’s keeper Hornicek is going through a rough patch of form. If I’m up for a flutter, it might be on Gonzalo.
2. A midfield tussle
This is going to be a fun battle, I think. One midfield that will try to smother its opponent to death, and one that constantly tries to break out of its cage.
Newcastle’s midfield has excelled when given the opportunity to stretch their legs. One of my favourite goals so far this season was Joe Willock’s against Manchester City - a perfect one-man counter. So, the brief for Fulham here will be to put the Newcastle trio in positions where they can only go back towards their own goal. This is where Everton succeeded in their win on Monday night.
Fulham will also be tasked with keeping the ball moving with the same intent they had at Villa Park. This was a massive step up in contrast to the Coventry game. Fulham probed, prodded and poked at Villa with far more positive intent. They used shorter interchanges in the half-space to move around Villa’s narrow midfield and get at full-backs. The front four will want to do similar here, as Newcastle also possess good talent in wide areas. The Whites should be looking to move the opposition midfield around and nullify the threat of the counter. Newcastle’s centre-halves have been suspect this season, so drawing them out will be key.
3. A vertical threat
Having watched Newcastle a few times this season, one of their main threats is their ability to go from front to back quickly. This is a team that has been built with pace in mind, and they have good ball carriers through the middle of the park and out wide. While nobody can replace the attacking threat of Anthony Gordon, fellow Anthony (Elanga) carries a real threat with his pace. He is paired with Harvey Barnes, also no slouch.
Fulham will have their work cut out to stop these kinds of attacks at the source, and this has been an area where the Whites have excelled in recent weeks. We’ve seen Fulham set traps higher up the pitch, almost hunting in packs and winning the ball back higher. There have been plaudits for Berge and Charles, but the boys in front are certainly putting in a shift. I am once again here to say that we are nothing without Josh King, who is often the focal point.
4. Progressing with possession
This was another game where Fulham registered more than 530 passes, 110 of which were successful passes in the final third. That’s a real demonstration of how the Whites have improved in possession in recent weeks. There has been a newfound impetus in possession, and while it can feel a little conservative at times we are creating more. There were more shots on target against Villa than the previous two games combined, and Fulham registered twice the number of major chances than our opponents.
We’ve spoken about it in this column before, but Alex Iwobi has been the real driver of this Fulham team. He is the link that knits all phases of player together. I’m not sure if Alex is underrated, but I don’t think he gains as many plaudits as he should. Perhaps the victim of the stats-lead ratings of today, but he is a magnificent footballer with great fluidity. I’ve enjoyed his blossoming relationship with Josh King and Shea Charles.
Fulham have turned a corner with how they’re using the ball overall, there’s patterns as usual, but an additional element of speed is greatly welcomed. Progression through the thirds has looked better, and Fulham have been finding joy in wide areas. I still do wish they’d hit the byline more, though. Maybe Arbeloa might read this column, if so: “Hola”.
5. Calvin Bassey just vibing
Honestly, he really is just vibing out there. It’s equal parts impressive and nerve-wracking, but overall, I like it. Bassey brings a wildcard element that not many teams have – his ball carrying ability is a weapon the Fulham have begun to feel comfortable exploring. He really does feel like the perfect fit for this system; can pick his passes, cover his ground and even when he is caught on the half-turn, can recover.
Recent weeks have seen our Captain find the side to his game that was missing at times: the exuberant confidence that almost oozes out of him. The ability to use his body to win the ball and the return of winning aerial battles. Ipswich was one of the first times I saw Calvin genuinely out muscled, but since then he has rarely put a foot wrong. If I shared a dressing room with him, I’d probably run through a brick wall for him.
Enjoy the game. Here’s to three points!