Alvaro Arbeloa edges closer to Fulham sack - 'He'll be gone by end of the month'

Fulham are expected to part ways with Alvaro Arbeloa before the end of the month unless their results take an immediate upturn.

After a 2-1 defeat against newly-promoted Ipswich last time out, in a game they led until the 88th minute, the Craven Cottage hierarchy are now losing patience with the manager.

Fulham currently sit bottom of the Premier League table without a win from six games, and are staring down the barrel of a relegation battle which could be a "disaster".

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Arbeloa could be sacked within weeks unless he can pull off a major turnaround in form and performances.

The Ipswich clash had been eyed as a winable game, alongside upcoming fixtures against Hull City and Coventry City, but they have got off to the worst possible start.

Should Arbeloa's side continue to struggle in their next fixtures, there is a growing feeling his position will become untenable as he is also losing the backing of the fans.

Could Fulham pull the trigger on Alvaro Arbeloa?

Brown warned Football Insider last month that Arbeloa is increasingly likely to be sacked by Fulham if their results do not improve, and that remains the case.

Following the international break, there had been hope that his work on the training ground might pay off, but an agonising late defeat has only served to pile on the pressure.

While a decision is not expected to be made in the next few days, another poor result in their next game could force the board's hand, with Arbeloa now fighting for his job.

"No matter what club you are, you can't afford to go without a win in six Premier League games," Brown told Football Insider.

"Especially at the start of the season, because when you drop down to last place in the table, it adds that weight of pressure while teams around you start picking up points.

"October is usually the time of year when these decisions start to be made, so I think he'll be gone by the end of the month if things do not improve.

"Fulham were always bound to struggle after Marco Silva left, there are a lot of changes going on there, but ultimately the finger gets pointed at the manager who has not been good enough.

"They're going to have to make a decision if they keep losing games, so any more defeats are going to make it very difficult for him to keep his job."

When will Arbeloa be sacked by Fulham?

October has been tipped as the month for managerial changes to begin in the Premier League, and Arbeloa is currently the front-runner to be the first to lose his job.

Fulham are without a win from their opening six Premier League games, and a defeat against newly-promoted Ipswich could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Football Insider revealed on 11 September that Fulham were prepared to give Arbeloa time, with their three games against Ipswich, Hull and Coventry seen as key.

Despite taking a point each from games against Man United and Liverpool, the boss is set to be judged against club's performances when they face the newly-promoted sides.

With a defeat against Ipswich kickstarting that run, another negative result against Hull could spell the end to Arbeloa's time at Craven Cottage.