Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterFulham are facing the prospect of losing their opening four Premier League games of the new season this weekend, which would spell bad news for Alvaro Arbeloa.The Spaniard is fast emerging as the frontrunner to become the Premier League's first managerial casualty of the new season.A winless start to the campaign has plunged Fulham into crisis, leaving the former Real Madrid interim boss fighting to salvage both his authority and his job ahead of a weekend trip to face Liverpool.Alvaro Arbeloa on the brink at FulhamHaving replaced Marco Silva over the summer, Arbeloa was heavily backed by the club's board during the transfer window.The 43-year-old tapped directly into his former employer to reshape the squad, securing moves for Real Madrid trio Cesar Palacios, Gonzalo Garcia, and Manuel Angel. You may like Chelsea and Fulham's managers both suffered the Real Madrid curse - we're about to learn what they're made of Fulham are a side edging closer to domestic success and European qualification, but can new boss Alvaro Arbeloa get them over the line? Fulham 2026-27 season preview Fulham strike stunning double deal with Real Madrid: report However, due to Arbeloas tactical tweaks and, on the surface at least, a clear preference for his ex-Bernabeu recruits, he has alienated established figures within the squad.Alex Iwobi has found himself displaced from his natural wide role and redeployed into central midfield, a move widely understood to accommodate Palacios on the wing.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Meanwhile, �34 million midfielder Emile Smith Rowe has seemingly been marginalised, featuring off the bench for a combined total of just 25 Premier League minutes across Fulham's three opening defeats.Internal friction is growing with Brazilian winger Kevin, too. As reported by Saturday White Fever, Fulham find themselves with an ultimatum just four weeks in to the new season.Kevin, the club's record signing, and Arbeloa are believed to have fallen out over the ex-Shakhtar Donetsk man's playing time. He has accumulated a mere 24 league minutes this term, and was left as an unused substitute during last weekends loss to Crystal Palace. What to read next Andoni Iraola must change habit of a lifetime to succeed at Liverpool Watch Fulham vs Crystal Palace: Live Streams and TV Channels Can Xabi Alonso turn the Premier League's greatest financial underachievers into champions? Chelsea 2026-2027 season preview The immediate aftermath of that Palace defeat saw Kevin take to social media to post a cryptic message which read: no speak, no hear, no see. This post has been universally interpreted as a protest against Arbeloas team selection and possibly his management style, too.It is now understood that Kevin is expected to seek an exit from Craven Cottage during the January transfer window unless the board opts to dismiss Arbeloa before then.Alarmingly, the discontent is not isolated to one individual, either. In what appears to be a coordinated effort, both Iwobi and Smith Rowe have scrubbed their official Instagram accounts clean, wiping all historical posts depicting them in Fulham colours.With a dismal record heading to Anfield, Arbeloa's gamble and squad management has backed him into a corner.Should Fulham suffer another damaging defeat against Liverpool, or if the team produces another lifeless display, the board may be forced to act.The manner of performance on Merseyside could well prove terminal for the manager's brief tenure in West London.TOPICSlvaro ArbeloaEmile Smith RoweAlex IwobiFulhamPremier LeagueJoe DonnohueSocial Links NavigationSenior Digital WriterJoe joined FourFourTwo as senior digital writer in July 2025 after five years covering Leeds United in the Championship and Premier League. Joe's 'Mastermind' specialist subject is 2000s-era Newcastle United having had a season ticket at St. James' Park for 10 years before relocating to Leeds and later London. Joe takes a keen interest in youth football, covering PL2, U21 Euros, as well as U20 and U17 World Cups in the past, in addition to hosting the industry-leading football recruitment-focused SCOUTED podcast. He is also one of the lucky few to have 'hit top bins' as a contestant on Soccer AM. It wasn't a shin-roller.
