Arbeloa calls for patience as Fulham's challenging beginning persists

Three defeats in Alvaro Arbeloa's first three Premier League games in charge of Fulham were not how he would have envisioned his start to life in Southwest London, and, concerningly for the Spaniard, things might deteriorate further before they improve.

Fulham took the lead twice at home against Crystal Palace on Saturday but ultimately suffered a 3-2 defeat, adding to their previous loss by the same score to Chelsea and a 1-0 setback against Sunderland.


Their sole triumph this season occurred in the second round of the League Cup against AFC Wimbledon.

Discontent was palpable among the Craven Cottage faithful, with some boos echoing as fans expressed their dissatisfaction at a start that has seen Fulham concede seven league goals.

Next up is a trip to Liverpool before a home game against Manchester United. Despite a challenging start to his reign, Arbeloa, who took over from Marco Silva after he departed at the end of last season, maintained a positive outlook on Saturday. "It's three games, three losses, so it's difficult," he remarked. “Now you might be considering the upcoming matches at Anfield and the visit of Manchester United to Craven Cottage, which presents two quite challenging games.”


We understood that this month would be quite challenging, but I assured my players that it will not determine the outcome of our entire season. I believe they are putting in tremendous effort. They are playing today, giving their all, and with this mentality and character, I am confident that victories will follow.

On a positive note, Arbeloa's offensive approach has led Fulham to score four goals in those three losses, and on Saturday, they recorded 25 attempts on goal against Palace.

However, preventing them from scoring at the other end is proving difficult for former Real Madrid and Liverpool full-back Arbeloa.

We allowed goals that were too easy to score. Crystal Palace didn't require excessive effort to score three goals," he stated. "They are straightforward situations to manage, particularly the goal we conceded, so it's not something that concerns me greatly, for sure. It resembled several of Chelsea's goals, and we must learn swiftly, as conceding a goal can alter the course of the game. When you are leading 2-1 at home, avoid allowing counter-attacks and situations that should not happen when you are ahead.