Fulham stars 'unhappy' with Alvaro Arbeloa as sack decision looms

Alvaro Arbeloa could be in trouble at Fulham amid suggestions of unrest behind the scenes at Craven Cottage.

Fulham lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace last time out, despite having led twice in the game, and have now lost all three of their Premier League games since the new manager's arrival.

Sections of the crowd were heard booing following the full time whistle, while there have also been claims that there are now a number of unhappy players at the club.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Arbeloa must turn around this recent run of form if he wants to get the fans on his side.

Following Marco Silva's departure at the end of last season, there was always likely to be intense scrutiny on the next Fulham manager, with the fans keen to push on.

However, after a disappointing start to the season and growing concerns about behind-the-scenes issues, questions are already being asked about Arbeloa's longt-term future.

Why is Alvaro Arbeloa already under pressure at Fulham?

Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider back in June that Arbeloa was a "very risky" appointment for Fulham and could push them towards the bottom three.

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

Those concerns, combined with frustrations from the crowd and potential issues arising in the dressing room, have not placed Arbeloa in a strong position to turn things around.

"It's been a really poor start to the season at Fulham, so it's no surprise the fans aren't happy," 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.

"Any team who goes three games without a win, and who throws away two leads and goes on to lose again, is going to have questions asked of them because it's not good enough.

"There have also been whispers, if you believe what you hear, that some of the star players are unhappy, which is never a good sign.

"If results aren't going well on the pitch, you don't need these issues behind the scenes building up as well, because then you're in trouble.

"A lot of the noise and pressure will go away after they get a win on the board, that's the most important thing, but the longer they go without, the more it becomes a concern."

Did Fulham back Arbeloa in the transfer window?

Arbeloa's frustrating start to his tenure at Fulham has been highlighted in recent weeks, but little blame can be attributed to their work in the summer transfer window.

Fulham made seven new signings during the window, notably including the arrivals of Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios, whom the boss enjoys a close relationship with.

Football Insider revealed in July that Garcia was seen as Fulham's top target during the summer as they aimed to support Arbeloa, who was key to getting the deal done.

The striker has enjoyed a bright start to life at Craven Cottage and has won plenty of plaudits for his performances despite the results on the pitch.

That has also been a concern for some sections of the crowd, however, with claims that his Real Madrid signings could be getting favourable treatment from the boss.