Fulham’s early pre-season work under Alvaro Arbeloa continued with a 1-1 draw against Al-Ahli in Portugal, offering a clearer picture of where the squad is after a difficult start and a rebound from the disappointing defeat to Norwich in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
It was only Arbeloa’s second match in charge, but he saw enough to call it a useful test. The Fulham manager said the fixture came against a team at a different stage of preparation, noting that Al-Ahli had started their pre-season many weeks earlier. Even so, he felt his side showed progress compared with the previous outing.
Arbeloa sees signs of improvement
Arbeloa said Fulham controlled the game better than they had against Norwich, moving the ball quickly from side to side and pressing loose balls more effectively. He also felt the team showed more aggression and the kind of ambition he wants to see during matches. At the same time, he pointed to the next step, saying Fulham still need to create more chances, more 1 v 1 situations and finish more of the opportunities they build.
The broader message from the match was one of patience. Arbeloa made it clear that the process will take time, saying getting the club to where he wants them is going to be a long journey. He also stressed that pre-season is the right time to try different things, explaining that he is still learning about his players and wants to see how they handle different roles and how they adapt to his style and ideas.
That makes the draw useful beyond the scoreline. Fulham are still early in pre-season, and this match offered another chance to test combinations after the Norwich defeat. They were scheduled to continue with another behind-closed-doors game against Farense before finishing pre-season with matches against Crystal Palace, Malaga and Stuttgart.
For now, the result suggests Fulham are moving in the right direction, even if Arbeloa is not pretending the work is close to finished. The performances are becoming more controlled, the team is showing more of the identity he wants, and the remaining weeks of pre-season will be about turning those signs into something more consistent.
