The curtain is about to go up. The show is about to start.
For Fulham, this season is set to be more interesting than usual. The club has taken a risk. For the first time since becoming re-established in the top flight, we enter a new season without knowing what to expect.
When Alvaro Arbeloa signed as the new manager it was a relative formality. The 2026/27 season is anything but. I can hear murmurs within the Fulham faithful, I can hear the doubts and reservations. Truth be told, I can also hear the excitement.
I’m not going to offer optimism, nor will I strike out all hopes of success before a ball is even kicked. What I will do is remind everyone of where we were at the end of last season. Marco Silva looked grumpy. The players lacked the killer instinct when it mattered. Fulham finished two points off the European places. The fanbase were left dreaming about what could have been.
I was watching the Mourinho documentary over the weekend. Even when Jose was on the brink of winning the treble with Inter Milan, he still had plans to leave the club when the Champions League final ended. Immediately my mind went to Marco Silva.
I have now come to the conclusion that Marco was always going to leave, no matter what. He kept it quiet. The club clearly prepared for his departure behind the scenes. The difficulty was the lack of confirmation. But now the new era is set to begin, we have to look forward. Marco was always fighting for recognition as Fulham entered the top tier. The chip on his shoulder was often detrimental. Sometimes his stress and lack of composure in certain moments cost us. Fulham needed to bring in a coach who had the calibre and stoicism to take them one step higher.
In steps Arbeloa. After watching much of the preseason action, I can safely say one thing: it will not be boring. Fulham are going to press. The energy is going to be high and the tempo shall be quick. Fulham are going to be exposed, no doubt about that. But at the same time, Fulham may also impress.
Arbeloa may be an inexperienced manager at this level, but he’s surrounded by experienced professionals. The squad was primed for a new injection of energy and new standards. I heard about the double sessions in Portugal. Judging by his sending off in Malaga, Arbeloa wants to win every game. This could be his downfall. But if backed and trusted, it could be the very thing that pushes Fulham up the table.
We, as fans, have to be patient. We have to remember this is only the beginning. We could see a shift to 4-3-3 as the season goes on. We could see tactical changes that don’t immediately bare fruit. We could see a run of back-to-back wins the like of which Marco never produced. But we can’t let our emotions get the better of us. Fearing the drop too early will infect the fanbase, and the players will feel it. Equally we can’t get too over the top; growing is not easy. In fact we know growth can be painful, and worth it in the end.
Fulham are set to take a step into the relative unknown, the jury is out and the gavel is raised. Only one thing is certain. Fulham and their fanbase will do well to “keep calm and carry on” if the going gets tough throughout the season. Spartan law must be applied to players and the fanbase in equal measure.