Fulham have only two points to their name after five matches but is it too early for the fans to be worried or are they naysayers right to be nervous?
It is not exactly unknown that Fulham have struggled to start this season in a positive light and, as such, have picked up just two points.
And with the club in 19th place in the Premier League table at the first pause of the season for the international break, there has naturally been some worry around what the rest of this season could bring.
The Cottagers, after four seasons in which there was not even a hint of worry about relegation under Marco Silva, now find themselves in that very position.
But after five matches, should supporters actually be worried about the prospect of relegation?
Why Fulham fans should be worried about relegation
Fulham have two points from five games.
That is objectively a very worrying start to the season and, although they did pick up points against Liverpool and Manchester United, the defeat to Crystal Palace in particular was concerning.
Unlike in previous seasons, Fulham do not have the experienced nous of Marco Silva as manager, nor do they have experienced players in the form of Sasa Lukic, Issa Diop, Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez.
They have all gone, and in their place have come young, albeit exciting talents, with zero Premier League experience.
Should the form continue in its current trajectory, it could be quite a tricky end to the season with players who are not used to the grind of a relegation battle.
Why Fulham fans should not worry about relegation
Simply put, Fulham have a very nice set of fixtures coming up and, having played against three of the big six teams - namely Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United - it is hardly a fair reflection of how the rest of the season may go.
Ipswich, Hull and Coventry coming up next will give Fulham a fair shot at earning their first win and beginning to gain momentum as they look to climb up the table.
There is also the the opposite of what I said above, Fulham have a hugely exciting set of players and also a lot of talent.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s style of management, while potentially counter-intuitive at times, will surely lead to wins against other sides who are attempting to earn wins themselves and points will come.
In many ways, it is too early to suggest that Fulham will actually face the drop; history suggests the Cottagers have simply got too much in their squad to actually have any major worries about being relegated this season.
