Alvaro Arbeloa has steered Fulham away from the brink of dismissal, with the club taking seven points from their last three Premier League games after a winless start to the season left him facing the sack.
The former Real Madrid boss was not a universally popular appointment at Craven Cottage, and a month ago he was a strong bet to become the first Premier League manager sacked this season. A 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, who sat second in the Champions League table behind holders Paris Saint-Germain, provided further evidence the team is on the right track.
Khan Backing and a Turning Point
Last month, after defeats to Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Ipswich left Fulham without a league win, owner Shahid Khan publicly backed Arbeloa ahead of the home game against Hull. "We have been in every match, missing only the opportunities we've had to complete the task," Khan said. "I believe those opportunities will soon be seized - especially if we have our supporters in full voice today and beyond."
Fulham beat Hull 1-0, followed that with a clean-sheet win at Coventry, and then drew at Villa Park, where goalkeeper Zion Suzuki dropped a corner over the goal line for the equaliser. "We have proved that we can compete with anyone," said Arbeloa.
Adapting the System
Arbeloa has earned credit for adapting his approach. His high-intensity pressing in the opening games was at odds with how Marco Silva's Fulham had played, and the squad struggled to bridge the gap. "At least he is prepared to change his ideology," Fulham's record goalscorer Gordon Davies told Standard Sport, "because we've had managers in the past who are only prepared to play Plan A."
Davies recalled the first game of the season, where Fulham "give a goal away after 30 seconds," worrying supporters. Arbeloa softened, becoming more pragmatic as results became the only thing that would save his job.
Underlying Data Impressive but Finishing Remains a Problem
Fulham remain the third-biggest underperformers in the league for expected goals (xG), and missed chances have been a binding thread throughout Arbeloa's tenure. New striker Gonzalo Garcia has struggled in front of goal, and patience is wearing thin. Despite being 15th in the real table, Opta's model suggests Fulham ought to be eighth.
Under the new manager, Fulham are more possession-based with livelier attacking patterns. Centre-backs Calvin Bassey and David Affengruber have been trusty performers, and 19-year-old midfielder Josh King has improved markedly. King, who told Standard Sport in April, "My personal ambitions will come - but I feel I do have a certain loyalty to Fulham," may be hard to keep hold of long-term.
Arbeloa's greatest shortcoming so far has been substitutions, an area where Silva excelled. Hosting Newcastle on Saturday is a winnable game before a run of tricky fixtures, and with the pressure eased, Fulham must now kick on.
