Alvaro Arbeloa has been 'set up to fail' at Fulham after Marco Silva claim

Alvaro Arbeloa may have been handed an "impossible" job at Fulham amid calls for his head after just three Premier League games.

The Spaniard has yet to pick up his first league win at Craven Cottage, having lost all three games so far, including a 3-2 defeat at home to Crystal Palace last time out.

Frustrations have begun to grow amongst the fans, while there have also been suggestions of unhappiness in the dressing room, sparking fresh concerns for the boss.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Arbeloa has been "set up to fail" after the success Marco Silva enjoyed with the West London club.

Silva was very highly thought of at Fulham, not just by the fans but also by the players, and making changes to his way of operating was always bound to lead to conflict.

The Portuguse boss opted to leave Fulham at the end of last season, and while there is optimism that Arbeloa can turn things around, his job is becoming increasingly tough.

Could Alvaro Arbeloa be sacked by Fulham?

Brown warned Football Insider on 7 September that Arbeloa is "in trouble" at Fulham after a miserable start to the season and growing concerns behind the scenes.

There is a belief that the manager's lack of experience, despite landing the hot seat at Real Madrid in the latter stages of last season, mean he is still unproven at this level.

However, there is now a belief that Arbeloa is in a difficult position as he aims to build on what the hugely-popular Silva put together at Craven Cottage.

"Alvaro Arbeloa has been thown in at the deep end at Fulham, really," Brown told Football Insider.

"Marco Silva did a wonderful job there and raised the standard, so for any manager coming in, it was going to be tricky to match up to what he was doing.

"It can be hard taking over at a new club, with new ideas, when the previous manager was so well-liked not just by the fans but by the players as well.

"You go in, try to get your ideas across, try to change the way of playing and you have yout own methods in training, but people are missing what the old manager used to do.

"I've seen it happen many times before and it's a very difficult situation to get out of, because certain players and fans are used to how things used to be.

"It's very difficult to change opinions in football, sometimes it has to be done within the first couple of weeks otherwise questions start to be asked.

"So in that respect, Arbeloa has been set up to fail at Fulham, and it would have been difficult for any manager going in after Silva. It's almost an impossible task."

What's next for Fulham if Arbeloa is sacked?

Should results continue on their current trend at Fulham, they could be forced into a change in manager, but Arbeloa's impact could cause further problems in West London.

In their attempts to back the manager during the transfer window, Fulham brought in players at his request, notably Cesar Palacios and Gonzalo Garcia.

Brown warned Football Insider on 8 September that Arbeloa's new signings could already look to leave the club if the manager is dismissed in the coming weeks.

Should the manager be dismissed in the coming weeks, it will call into question the Spaniards' futures at Craven Cottage, with Palacios and Gonzalez having joined for Arbeloa.

While Fulham are keen not to rush into any decisions, and hope the manager will be able to turn around the slow start, concerns are now beginning to grow.