The prologue to 2025/26 has been a mixed bag, but chapter one starts against the Bees.
You get the feeling that the 2025/26 season really gets going for us this weekend.
Maybe it’s the inconvenienty-placed international break; maybe it’s the frustrations from the Stamford Bridge VAR-ce; or maybe it’s the fact that, bar Kevin’s 15 minutes of fame against Leeds, we’re yet to see our summer recruits.
Getting our first three points of the campaign on the board this weekend was vital. We feel upwardly mobile ahead of the West London derby - and that’s crucial, if only for supporter excitement leading into the game.
And excited we most certainly are. Kevin’s arrival hasgiven us all licence to dream. Saturday really felt like the Kevin show - and he was only on the pitch for the length of time it takes to drink a coffee. The word ‘aura’ is bandied about too often in football by the youths on social media, but whatever aura is, Kevin has it.
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A re-established rivalry
It’s been 11 years now since we renewed our battles with Brentford. And in the 19 games since, the Bees have edged it. We’ve won six and drawn four, while Brentford have won nine. We won the big one, of course. Not that they will ever admit they care.
I, alongside many other Fulham fans, rejoiced in the vultures picking the Bees’ bones this summer. With Mbuemo, Wissa, and Frank all departing for pastures new, I assumed their Premier League dream was over and they’d be a shoo-in for the drop.
Anything can still happen, but the early signs are that they are developing a siege mentality under the unfancied Keith Andrews, who’s determined to prove the pundits wrong.
Last weekend’s draw with Chelsea showed a resilience and dogged determination that we should be wary of. A repeat of the insipid first hour against Leeds is likely to See Brentford seize the initiative.
New blood?
For what it’s worth, I think Kevinshould start. Alex Iwobi will be the obvious casualty for this, but you must capitalise on the wave created by his debut - and as is constantly discussed, Iwobi’s future at the clubis not tied to the left wing. This could be the moment that causes a domino effect in Fulham’s midfield make-up.
But what of Samuel Chukwueze? The pesky international break put paid to any sort of debut against Leeds (the Nigerian winger only returned to Motspur Park on the Thursday before the game, with Marco jokinghe didn’t know all his teammates’ names yet), but he should be in contention for Brentford. He’s unlikely to displace Harry Wilson on the right, not immediately anyway, but we can surely expect him to come on at some stage. Marco is the master of substitutions, after all.
Then there’s the fascinating situation surrounding Jonah Kusi-Asare. Though the 19-year-old is only here on a season-long loan, Silva said before the Leeds game (in a video that has mysteriously disappeared from the official website) that JKA will take a while to adapt and that “he’s not a signing that is ready to help us right now at all”. It indicates that the gaffer might not use him much, if at all, and begs the question: who pushed for the youngster’s arrival?
Settling down
Much like it takes a few games for the league table to shake out, we’re yet to see what a settled and best Fulham XI looks like. Ryan Sessegnon has had a mixed time filling in at left-back for Antonee Robinson in the past few games, and has enjoyed a spell on the wing too. A returning Jedi and influx of wingers leaves his path to the starting XI less clear, despite some nice link-ups with Kevin on Saturday.
It’s illustrative of the state of our first-team squad at the moment. It might not be the deepest, but boy - player for player, it’s strong. The next 34 games will offer twists and turns that will test that depth, but for now we’re looking close to full strength, just in time for a game that we’re all looking forward to - and a game that marks the true start of our season.
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