'There's whispers of unrest' - Alvaro Arbeloa doubts at Fulham intensify
Alvaro Arbeloa was facing doubts about his role as Fulham manager before a ball was kicked, sources have told Football Insider.
The 43-year-old was appointed to replace Marco Silva at Craven Cottage during the summer but questions are already being asked about his future at the club.
This comes as a result of a poor start to the Premier League season, with three defeats from three games so far and a difficult fixture schedule on the horizon.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, Arbeloa's lack of senior managerial experience has already raised red flags at Fulham.
The Spaniard oversaw the second half of last season as the interim manager at Real Madrid, but has no previous experience barring that short-term spell.
Fulham's concerns are now mounting alongside boos from the crowd and suggestions of unhappy players, and Arbeloa's future has been thrown into doubt.
Could Fulham sack Alvaro Arbeloa soon?
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider on 10 September that Arbeloa is the most likely Premier League manager to be sacked in the near future.
This comes amid suggestions that the manager can be "confrontational" behind the scenes, leading to disagreements with players and fanning the flames of discontent.
Should they fail to get any points on the board in the near future, serious questions will be asked, and there is a growing likelihood he could soon lose his job.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "I'm sure there'll be a bit of scrutiny on Arbeloa after what has been a disappointing start to the season for Fulham.
"That scrutiny has probably been there since before a ball was kicked, because his appointment was greeted with bit of scepticism from some because of his relative inexperience in managing.
"He's only had that role at Real Madrid last season when he stepped in following Xabi Alonso's departure there.
"It’s going to take time for Arbeloa to get his ideas and methods across. Obviously it's not great when there's whispers of unrest in the squad as well in some respects.
"Football is ultimately a results-based business and until you start getting wins then the criticism will not go away and the sceptics will continue to grow if the results aren't good."
Has Arbeloa been set up to fail at Fulham?
Following the reveal that Arbeloa was facing doubts about his Fulham appointment before he even arrived as manager, questions have been asked about the task at hand.
Replacing Silva at Craven Cottage was always going to be a difficult job as he was so well-liked, but the new manager seems to have been given little time to adjust.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on 11 September that Arbeloa has been "set up to fail" at Fulham in his attempts to take over from Silva.
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 West London at the end of last season, and while there is optimism that Arbeloa can turn things around, his job is becoming increasingly tough.