For all the talk of learned lessons and change in mentality at Fulham over the past 12 months, the west Londoners look terrifyingly similar to the side which crashed out of the Premier League almost 18 months ago.
Warnings don’t come much starker than their early run. Three games, no points and ten goals conceded.
All teams can start seasons poorly and recover, but those who do must have the ability to learn from their mistakes and have some semblance of a plan. Neither is true of Fulham at the moment.
Scott Parker has made it clear that - before the window closes in a week’s time - he wants a new centre-back here at Craven Cottage.
Sassuolo’s Marlon Santos was all set to join before failing his medical, meaning Parker’s only alternative this evening was to go belt and braces with what he had, bringing Tim Ream in alongside Denis Odoi and Michael Hector in a move to a back three.
The plan was clear - keep it tight and go from there. The plan was also up in smoke after just four minutes.
Even with five defenders across the back, it took Jack Grealish no time at all to find a gap - between Odoi and Hector - to glide through and collect John McGinn’s sumptuous clip over the top, delivered under no pressure from those in white.
Alphonse Areola, fresh from conceding four in his first Premier League appearance, unconvincingly threw himself at Grealish, who tucked the ball underneath the Frenchman.
Fulham looked to respond through Tom Cairney and Ivan Cavaleiro down the left, while Kenny Tete looked to find Aleksandar Mitrovic with his cross from the right, but it was nothing the visitors couldn’t handle.
Their plan, the pressing and link-up was all too much for Parker’s side, who were being pulled apart at the back with each and every pass.
It was Ollie Watkins dragging them out of shape this time, holding off Odoi before cutting the ball into the gap the Fulham defender had just left.
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Grealish took over, raced forward to the byline and fired a cross in for McGinn, whose touch killed it dead for Conor Hourihane to finish and leave Fulham defenders playing the blame game.
Fulham will always be a threat going forward when Mitrovic is in the side, the Serbian showing as much when he steered a header wide of the near post from Joe Bryan’s pinpoint cross. But when the foundation has this many holes in it, too much is being asked of the forward line.
In these empty stadiums the vocal leaders in the Premier League are so easily identifiable, and while England’s Tyrone Mings orchestrated everything for Aston Villa, Fulham’s silence was deafening.
Not one of the three at the back took it upon themselves to get things organised and prevent the visitors from punching through time and again.
Just up the road at Sky Sports’ studios in Osterley, unfortunately for Fulham, Roy Keane was on hand to cast down a verdict on their attempts at defending. “Brutal” and “shocking” were his words.
For once the former Manchester United midfielder could be accused of being kind in his punditry.
Parker will have made the deficiencies all too clear at the break, which made Villa’s third goal even more maddening.
With their manager’s half-time message fresh in their minds, the entire defence let Mings clear ahead of them from Hourihane’s free-kick to put the game beyond them two minutes into the second half.
After Bobby Decordova-Reid had seen a goal ruled out following a VAR check, Parker ditched the back five and returned to a four. Fulham posed much more of a threat with Aboubakar Kamara finding the head of Mitrovic time and again from the right, only for last season’s top scorer to miss the target each time.
It was all too late and they were still desperately exposed at the back, Grealish drifting in unchecked to volley a Matty Cash cross just over Areola’s crossbar.
The blame cannot all be placed on the back line if Mitrovic is to pass up so many chances. Without him firing they really do have no hope. Villa’s movement was choreographed and cutting, Grealish, McGinn and Watkins moving in perfect harmony.
Fulham's forays forward were placed in stark contrast when Cairney simply charged into Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa with the ball at his feet. Everything is disjointed.
But leaks at the back make everything else so much more difficult and Parker must plug them quickly.
That may come in the form of a new signing, but with precious points tumbling away already - they should be taking something from a fellow promoted side and one who avoided the drop on the final day of last season - the former Cottagers midfielder must still address the problems on the training ground, and fast.