Fulham have built a new era on sand

CRAVEN COTTAGE – The only place to start is with Tyrick Mitchell’s second goal, which from a Fulham perspective might be the worst goal you might ever see conceded in the Premier League. Sparking a revolt in the Hammersmith End is not easy but at full-time, Alvaro Arbeloa was pointedly reminded this was not a first offence. If you were to be harsh on Crystal Palace, all three of the goals that earned them a first win of the season were the result of appalling defending. Whether Bernd Leno beaten at his near post, Gonzalo Garcia’s clearance pinballing around his own box, or Antonee Robinson losing his man, Fulham’s susceptibility to Palace’s full-backs on the break left them 19th in the table with three losses from three. Having led twice, Arbeloa was jeered by the home fans, subjected to chants of “what the f***ing hell was that?” and then faced questions over his future. Those he batted away and said he “believes in this football”. Fulham had “lost a game they didn’t deserve to lose”, which is probably correct – 25 attempts, nearly 65 per cent possession. He also suggested, in perhaps the biggest indictment of all, that Palace’s goals had reminded him of the three shipped on the opening weekend against Chelsea. Arbeloa is already fighting for his job (Photo: Getty) The mitigation. Centre-back David Affengruber and the other late arrivals are not ready to start yet, and by the time they have played five games Fulham will have faced Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. This was not a summer that would set anybody up for a quick fix. Arbeloa signed three Real Madrid players, Manuel Angel, Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios, and the latter now has his first goal. Josh King looks ready to play for England after dazzling in front of Thomas Tuchel. All was geared towards a transition from Marco Silva to Arbeloa’s approach, which would rely on even greater possession and more pace through the middle. It is the ev-Ange-lical approach everybody wants to see with the results nobody wants to accept. Without Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez, the charge before the season began was that nobody could see where the goals would come from. Silva’s Fulham could be blunt, but they were at least organised. Fulham’s problems have, in effect, been turned on their heads. A month in, they look incapable of keeping a clean sheet. Read more Kevin Garside: Mike Dean is no more than an attention-seeking drama queen Interview: Jill Scott: The internet can be a dark place – it’s harder for female pundits It is not for want of trying that the squad is still on the ageing side and that moves for Ait Boudlal, Raphael Le Guen and Chrislain Matsima did not come off. Pierre Sage was dealt the same hand at Crystal Palace and aside from Axel Disasi, his defence largely showed why the club were so desperate for late signings. Fulham’s bench is at last more promising, but largely because it was where so much of the experience lay. Neither Sander Berge nor Emile Smith Rowe started. Rodrigo Muniz can evade tight spaces and he might well be ideally suited to the new system if he stays fit. He too was reserved for a late cameo. Unless something changes, it will not matter. Fulham’s foundations are made of sand. If their business has been geared towards the long term, Arbeloa has to get there first.