Fulham dressing room unrest puts Alvaro Arbeloa under huge pressure ahead of Liverpool clash

Alvaro Arbeloa is already facing serious pressure at Fulham, with a disastrous start to the Premier League season reportedly accompanied by growing unrest inside the Craven Cottage dressing room.

The Spaniard replaced Marco Silva during the summer but has overseen three consecutive league defeats, leaving Fulham in danger of losing their opening four matches when they travel to Liverpool this weekend.

Results are only part of the problem. Arbeloa's selection decisions and apparent preference for several summer arrivals are reportedly creating tension among established members of the squad.

Fulham backed Arbeloa considerably following his arrival, allowing the former Real Madrid interim manager to reshape the squad according to his ideas.

That included recruiting Cesar Palacios, Gonzalo Garcia and Manuel Angel from Real Madrid.

However, Arbeloa's tactical changes have reportedly frustrated some existing Fulham players.

Alex Iwobi has been moved away from his usual wide position and deployed centrally, with Palacios receiving opportunities on the flank.

Emile Smith Rowe has found playing time even harder to come by.

The former Arsenal midfielder has accumulated only 25 Premier League minutes from the bench during Fulham's opening three defeats despite having joined the club for £34million.

There are also concerns surrounding Arbeloa's relationship with club-record signing Kevin.

The Brazilian winger has played only 24 league minutes this season and remained an unused substitute during the recent defeat against Crystal Palace.

Kevin subsequently posted a cryptic message on social media reading:

“no speak, no hear, no see”

The timing of the post has led to speculation that it was connected to his lack of playing time and frustration with the manager.

According to the report, Kevin could consider leaving Fulham during the January transfer window if his situation does not improve or Arbeloa remains in charge.

Perhaps even more concerning for Fulham is the suggestion that dissatisfaction extends beyond Kevin.

Both Iwobi and Smith Rowe are reported to have removed historical Fulham-related posts from their Instagram accounts.

While social-media activity alone does not establish that either player is actively pushing for a managerial change, it adds another layer of intrigue at a time when Arbeloa's authority is already being questioned.

Managing those relationships could now be as important as improving results.

The timing could hardly be worse for the Fulham manager.

His struggling side now travel to Anfield to face Liverpool knowing another defeat would leave them with zero points from their opening four Premier League matches.

Arbeloa is consequently emerging as a candidate to become the first Premier League manager dismissed this season.

The nature of Fulham's performance could prove particularly important. A competitive showing would offer the Spaniard something to build on, but another poor display combined with signs of dressing-room discontent could increase pressure on the board to intervene.

For a manager only appointed during the summer, the situation has deteriorated remarkably quickly.

Fulham's trip to Liverpool has suddenly become a potentially defining fixture for Arbeloa.

Beyond getting a result, the 43-year-old needs to demonstrate that his tactical ideas are progressing and that he retains the confidence of his squad. Failure on both fronts could leave Fulham considering a managerial change remarkably early in the campaign.