Even though they had a convincing opening-day victory over Everton, it’s been a difficult start to the season for Fulham.
Marco Silva’s men lost 3-0 to West London rivals Brentford and drew 2-2 with Arsenal after their opening day 1-0 away win against Everton. It was not the start Silva would have hoped and the 5-1 loss to Manchester City compounded more misery heading into the international break.
After heavy defeats to Brentford and Man City, Fulham will be desperate to right some wrongs as soon as possible. With that being said, here are three things Silva must do after the international break.
- Improve the defence
Fulham have conceded 10 goals in their opening four games which is a big concern for Silva. They have the second-worst defensive record in the division after newly-promoted Burnley.
We’ve seen how bad the defence has been this season, especially in the big defeats to Brentford and Man City. The defensive performance against Man City was undoubtedly the worst performance of their season, and the theme of leaking goals at an alarming rate needs to stop.
With summer signing Calvin Bassey not settling in quickly, Issa Diop making errors and Tim Ream past his prime, things look certain to only get worse. In reality, though, Fulham’s midfield needs to give greater protection to the back four.
- Get Raul Jimenez firing
Raul Jimenez cut a forlorn figure during the defeat by Man City, watching from the bench after he was substituted in the second half.
The summer signing from Wolves must find form immediately to get Fulham’s season up and running. Since the horrific skull injury he suffered a couple of years ago, Jimenez hasn’t been the same player he once was but Fulham’s decision to sign him from Wolves clearly suggests Silva knows what it takes to get the Mexican firing in all cylinders again.
And having come in as a replacement for last season’s top scorer Aleksandr Mitrovic, Jimenez will need to find his feet quickly in Fulham colours.
- Reintegrate Joao Palhinha
While addressing issues in defence is a priority, quality in midfield is also paramount. Joao Palhinha has that in abundance and his absence was dearly felt when Fulham were torn to shreds in the 5-1 defeat to Man City.
Bayern Munich were on the brink of signing Palhinha on the deadline day to replace Ryan Gravenberch, who moved to Liverpool on the same day, but a move didn’t transpire. While the Portuguese remains eager to leave Craven Cottage, Silva must reintegrate the player and help clear his mind after the international break.
With Palhinha’s presence in midfield, the Cottagers are a way better side than what they showed against Man City at the Etihad Stadium.