Key Takeaways
- Fulham head coach Álvaro Arbeloa prepares to return to Anfield for the first time as a manager, calling it “so special” and noting “Anfield will be always a special place for me.”
- Arbeloa addressed squad reactions following a frustrating defeat, stating: “For sure, when you are a player and you are not playing, you can’t be happy and it’s what I expect from the players.”
- On fixing tactical issues, Arbeloa stressed that “balance is the key” and Fulham must work to “control better the transition” when possession is lost.
Emotional return to Merseyside
Fulham head coach Álvaro Arbeloa is gearing up to take his side to Merseyside for a challenging Premier League fixture against Liverpool, marking a poignant personal milestone. Reflecting on walking out at his former home ground from the dugout, Arbeloa admitted, “It will be so special. I went back when I was a Real Madrid player, but now is my first time as a coach and Anfield will be always a special place for me.”
The encounter presents a stern tactical examination against a manager he knows intimately. “I played with Andoni in the national team and obviously we faced each other many times in La Liga,” Arbeloa said. “I know him very well. He has been doing an amazing work here in the Premier League and now in Liverpool. You can see they are playing in the style that he is always playing in with his teams and of course he will be so difficult for us tomorrow.”
Assessing the threat posed by the opposition, Arbeloa highlighted their intense pressing and direct play. “They are pressing so high very well and they will be very aggressive and they want to control the games playing in the opposite half and trying to also control the counterattacks and control the ball, control the tempo of the game,” he explained. “They are a team that put a lot of crosses, too. So, we have been working in how we can defend them and also we will have our chances for sure.”
Addressing squad discontent and defensive transitions
Away from the tactical preparation for Liverpool, the Fulham boss addressed questions regarding frustration around the squad following a recent home defeat and subsequent social media activity from players such as Kevin, Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi. Arbeloa dismissed notions of long-term rift, viewing competitive frustration as natural.
“For sure, when you are a player and you are not playing, you can’t be happy and it’s what I expect from the players that they are not playing and I want that they need to show me that they are not happy during the training session,” he stated. “For me, this is the most important thing and obviously when you are not winning games and you are not helping your team, I think you have more desire to play games and to help the teammates, but all of them they have been working so hard and I have a very good group with a very good attitude.”
Arbeloa also clarified the situation regarding experienced defender Kenny Tete, who has found opportunities limited. “He’s a player with a lot of experience and he’s very important for us and I told you 10 days ago, 2 weeks ago when the transfer windows was over,” Arbeloa remarked. “So, he’s going to be so important for us. But, we have 25 players and only 11 can start every game. So the players that they are not playing, they need to keep working as they are doing and be patient and help the team during the training session.”
Finding the right tactical balance
Addressing scrutiny over his tactical approach, Arbeloa made it clear that while his team creates sufficient attacking volume, adjustments without the ball are necessary to stop opponents from capitalizing on counter-attacks.
“When we have the ball, our first thought is not about what we are going to do to score,” Arbeloa said. “It’s more what we are going to do when we lose it. The ball, we need to be ready to control the transition. For me, that’s very clear and that’s the gap that we need to improve control better the transition and when we lose the ball, we need to be more compact and choose better when we are going to press high.”
The manager reaffirmed that he will not make wholesale changes merely to appease critics after negative results. “I think when I choose my 11 started is about the performance. It’s not just about the results because you can’t build anything if you change 11 players every time that you lose a game,” he stressed.
Regarding his long-term mandate at Craven Cottage despite early frustration from some supporters, Arbeloa remained steadfast: “I’m not thinking about time. I didn’t came here just for three games or for a month. I came here because I wanted to improve this club, this team, this squad, my players and this is where my energy goes.”
Liverpool performance and stats
Liverpool
Liverpool is currently 7th in the Premier League with 5 points.
In the last 3 games, it has won once and drew twice. In its last match, Liverpool won 0-2 against Ipswich Town.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 6 goals and conceding 4.
Liverpool will play the next match in Premier League against Fulham on Saturday 12th of September in Liverpool. The prediction is Liverpool winning the match.
Fulham performance and stats
Fulham is currently 19th in the Premier League with 0 points.
It has a negative goal difference after scoring 4 goals and conceding 7.
Fulham will play the next match in Premier League against Liverpool on Saturday 12th of September in Liverpool. The prediction is Liverpool winning the match.
