Fulham give Alvaro Arbeloa until November break to save his job

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa has until the next international break in early November to improve the club’s results, with Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey potentially set to work under a new coach next month.

The 43-year-old replaced Marco Silva in the summer but has endured a difficult start at Craven Cottage. Fulham are bottom of the Premier League with two points from their opening six matches, increasing pressure on the Spaniard.

Despite Bassey producing some of his best performances while captaining the side and Iwobi making a positive contribution in midfield, Fulham’s results have left Arbeloa’s position under serious scrutiny.

The latest setback came against Ipswich at the weekend, when the newly promoted side scored twice in the final four minutes to complete a 2-1 victory.

A report by Tribal Football said: “The appointment hasn’t quite gone to plan, however, with the west London club sitting rock bottom of the Premier League table with just two points from their opening six games.

“Fulham were beaten by Ipswich over the weekend, as the newly promoted sided scored twice in the final four minutes of the game to secure a 2-1 win.

“Now, Fulham have given Arbeloa until the next international break to turn things around. That’s six games across all competitions, including potential relegation six-pointers against Coventry and Hull, before the break in early November.”

Arbeloa’s spell at Fulham has been compared with the turbulent period he spent as interim manager of Real Madrid in Spain. His current run of results has led to suggestions that he could leave the club next month, ending his time in charge of Iwobi, Bassey and their team-mates.

Fulham’s next six matches across all competitions will determine whether Arbeloa can retain his position. Among those fixtures are matches against Coventry and Hull, which could prove particularly significant in the battle to avoid relegation.

Should Fulham decide to make a change, former Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank and Kieran McKenna are reported to be among the leading candidates to replace Arbeloa.

The club has not confirmed that a managerial change will be made, but Iwobi and Bassey could therefore find themselves playing the remainder of the current English Premier League season under a different tactician.