Fulham have 'bigger problems' than sacking Alvaro Arbeloa

Fulham were always likely to be in trouble this season despite the mounting pressure on Alvaro Arbeloa's position.

The West London outfit are still without a win after six Premier League games and sit rock bottom of the table, leading to growing pressure on the manager's position.

A late 2-1 defeat against Ipswich last time out, where they led until the 88th minute, has led to suggestions that the boss may have just days remaining before he is sacked.

However, former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Fulham's problems started at the end of last season, when Marco Silva and Harry Wilson opted to leave.

Silva had been fantastic for Fulham during his tenure, and helped to establish them as a solid Premier League outfit, before he opted to join Benfica when his deal expired.

Wilson was also a major loss after his performances last season, and having lost some key influences in the dressing room, Arbeloa was always set to struggle.

Was Alvaro Arbeloa always bound to struggle at Fulham?

Brown warned Football Insider last month that Arbeloa has been "set up to fail" at Fulham, as the task of taking over from Silva's reign was always set to be difficult.

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.

While there is still hope that Arbeloa can turn things around, it may prove a tough ask to reverse their fortunes as the issues at Craven Cottage go deeper than him.

"Arbeloa is going to be under pressure, of course, because that's the way things work," Brown told Football Insider.

"But if Fulham think sacking him and bringing in a new manager is going to magically heal all of their issues, I'm afraid they've got another thing coming.

"Fulham have bigger problems than just the manager, and they started as soon as Marco Silva announced he was going to leave last season, and Harry Wilson as well.

"Silva was the key to everything Fulham were doing well, the way they played, the results they picked up, it was never an easy trip going away to Craven Cottage.

"Players like Wilson were a big part of that as well, his goals and assists were key, and when he decided to leave as well you did start to wonder, 'could they be in trouble?'

"I think this season has already showed it's not so easy to adapt when you lose those key influences, and while Arbeloa will shoulder the blame, it's not entirely his fault."

When could Arbeloa be sacked by Fulham?

With pressure now piling on to Arbeloa's position, he does not have long left to save his job, as issues continue to stack up against him after their slow start to the season.

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.

Football Insider revealed on 13 October that Arbeloa may have just two games to turn things around at Fulham ahead of upcoming clashes with Coventry and Hull.

Following the international break, Fulham had eyed a run of games against all three newly-promoted sides as an opportunity to win points, and the Ipswich defeat was a bitter blow.

Should they suffer another defeat against Hull next time out, they may be forced to pull the trigger, and a decision will certainly have to be made if Coventry also take all three points.