FULHAM 3 ALBION 0

This should be one of the most exciting weeks of Albion’s history.

It still can be, don't worry about that.

Granted, on Saturday evening, it did not feel that way. Mamma mia, it was miserable!

That will change as the date at the Olimpico nears.

There will be excitement and the 3,000-plus making their trip will enjoy it whatever.

Cautious, measured optimism will be reborn. If it isn't, try blind hope or maybe a prayer.

Roberto De Zerbi will lift spirits, come up with a plan (which he has probably formulated already) and select a stronger, more cohesive team than at Fulham.

We have seen already that Saturday to Thursday is a long time in some ways.

Albion were on a high from winning at Old Trafford, then lost to AEK.

They came back from a 6-1 mauling at Aston Villa to get that pivotal draw at Marseille.

But it still feels like this Italian mission is coming at not exactly the best time looking at the trajectory of both teams.

Albion’s injury-hit squad were well beaten at Fulham and, while the grey skies cleared overhead, there was a mood of gloom, blame and recrimination by early evening.

Not really what is needed ahead of a trip to one of Serie A’s most in-form teams.

One fan called the BBC Radio Sussex phone-in, which has been lively over the last week, and accused Tony Bloom of a lack of investment in Albion. Did I really hear that?

Still, it was easy to understand a generally bad mood.

Roma were powering to a 4-1 win at Monza even as the inquests among Albion fans were getting into full swing.

Not for the first time, De Zerbi dropped a strong hint about January recruitment without going for it with both barrels.

He did similar just after the last transfer window closed and again when Billy Gilmour’s red card left him short in midfield.

As one of the reporters in the room when he said what he said this time, maybe I should have asked him to spell it out.

Maybe not doing so was a mistake as big as that by Adam Webster on the first goal, by Pascal Gross on the third, by Evan Ferguson when he was sent through one-on-one or by a couple of wasteful Fulham players who should have added the third goal sooner than it actually arrived.

Looking and listening back, it felt like De Zerbi should have been pinned down on a comment which almost passed us by when he first uttered it as part of a long reply in a busy media room about an hour after full-time.

Listening back, it stood out, made you listen again.

“I think for us it is a very tough moment but I’m not speaking (only) now about it.

“I am starting to explain the future in September, in October, in November, in January – especially in January."

But we know what he means. Had he been further pushed on it, I strongly suspect he would not have expanded.

Actually, he even said a couple of minutes later that January had gone, there was no point dwelling on it and it was time to move on.

The debate about January goes on among some fans and it feels like Albion are a midfielder light after the decision to bring in Mahmoud Dahoud, a reasonable punt on a free transfer, was dismissed as one which had gone wrong.

What we don’t know is who was out there, whether there was any deal to be done, or how long it would have taken any new player to settle in De Zerbi’s system. Because it seems to take a while.

Elsewhere, signing a player to cover an injury seems unrealistic, signing a player to cover someone who has not even been injured yet even more so.

But it remains very frustrating that Albion are going into this huge occasion in Rome without game-changers like Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March as well as the versatile Jack Hinshelwood.

In terms of team selection, Fulham was almost the perfect storm.

Players out injured and Billy Gilmour suspended, of course.

Of the others, it felt like most had either played too much of late or not enough.

Both were reasons why they could not start at Craven Cottage or could not play a full 90 minutes.

That was why Jan Paul van Hecke was in midfield, why Pascal Gross and Facundo Buonanotte did not start, why the lively Julio Enciso went off at half-time.

Why De Zerbi did something it felt like he was joking about in his Friday press conference and started with four centre-backs (if you include Joel Veltman).

Albion had their moments in attack. Adam Lallana was creative and Ferguson found spaces while Enciso took players on and shot on sight.

But they were undone by a curler you could see coming from Harry Wilson after Rodrigo Muniz beat Webster in the dispute for a long ball from Calvin Bassey.

Albion did not shut down Sasa Lukic in midfield, Wilson with the cross or Muniz’s run for the header as Fulham added their second.

But one also had to recognise it was a quality goal from the Cottagers as they played through from keeper Bernd Leno.

It was the type of move about which we would be purring had Albion produced it.

Ferguson prodded a glorious chance wide with an awkward-looking finish when Lallana released him in the second half.

Buonanotte hit the post, Lewis Dunk had a header saved and Baleba sent one over.

For a while, fans of both teams seemed to sense there might be a comeback.

But a failed Cruyff turn by Gross probably summed up the afternoon for the Seagulls as substitute Adama Traore added the late, breakaway third.

Go on, let's say it. With fingers crossed and a slight sense of trepidation.

Bring on Roma!