Fulham fans fretting about life under Álvaro Arbeloa will not feel any better when they remember how things were under Marco Silva, who was one of the most effective managers in the Premier League when it came to making substitutions. Silva’s substitutes were involved in the fourth-highest goal contributions last season and the most in the 2024-25 season. Fulham knew how to dig in and salvage unlikely points.
But Silva left last summer, joining Benfica after concluding he could achieve nothing more at Craven Cottage, and his replacement is already under pressure after some puzzling tactical choices. The worrying shift under Arbeloa was evident during Fulham’s collapse against Ipswich last weekend. The west Londoners were 1-0 up and looking good for their first league win of the season when Arbeloa weakened his midfield by replacing Shea Charles with Manuel Ángel in the 70th minute.
It was a strange way to shut up shop. Charles is physically imposing, has impressed since joining from Southampton and was doing well alongside Sander Berge. The 22-year-old Ángel is 5ft 7in, was making his Premier League debut and has little experience of senior football.
Ipswich’s comeback to win 2-1 was not a surprise, particularly when Arbeloa’s other rejigs included bringing on Rodrigo Muniz and switching from a 4-2-3-1 system to a flat 4-4-2 in an attempt to defend the lead. The subsequent floundering felt inevitable. Emile Smith Rowe, another late substitute, was slow to close down Abdoul Ouattara when the Ipswich right-back equalised.
Fulham have dropped eight points from winning positions. They are managing games badly and their physical shortcomings were exposed by Ipswich, whose winner came from a poorly defended free-kick and left Fulham in last place before facing Hull at home on Saturday. Relegation fears are growing and there are whispers that the Spaniard’s job is under threat.
Fulham had a tricky start – they have already faced Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United – but the Ipswich game was supposed to mark a turning point. It was the first of three consecutive meetings with the promoted sides and, with Coventry, Hull and Ipswich surpassing expectations, it is easy to see Fulham’s aim to move to a more expansive style under Arbeloa backfiring. Questions have to be asked over the decision by the Khan family to appoint someone whose experience of management was limited to an interim spell in charge of Real Madrid last season.
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