Former Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa faces a decisive test as he looks to save his job following Fulham’s stuttering start to the Premier League season.
With just two points from a possible 18, no wins and the team rooted to the bottom of the table, two points adrift of safety, Arbeloa’s future is already hanging by a thread despite it being only mid-October.
The Spaniard has guided Fulham through two rounds of the Carabao Cup, but their league form has placed his position at Craven Cottage under enormous pressure.
Reports suggest the former Real Madrid coach has just two matches to save his job. Hull City visit Craven Cottage on Saturday before Fulham travel to face Coventry City.
Arbeloa insists he cannot allow speculation over his future to distract him from keeping his players focused on securing a victory against Hull.
Arbeloa said at a news conference: “I am focused on tomorrow’s game, on my players, on my team. That for me is the most important thing.
“It is not about me. It is about the club, it is about the players. It is about the supporters. And like I said before, we are waiting for the game where the performance turns into a result.”
“For me, it has been a normal week where we have been working hard, where we were preparing a difficult match against a very difficult team,” he added.
“They [players] did [execute the game plan] for many minutes against Ipswich. We did against Man United, we did against Liverpool, so for me, we need to try to keep that level for 90 minutes.
“I saw the commitment of the players this week, how they have been training, and they are so focused on the tomorrow’s game. I saw them how they can play and for me, it is the most important thing: the performance of my players.”
Arbeloa joined Fulham in the summer on a three-year contract, replacing former boss Marco Silva after a brief spell as Real Madrid’s interim head coach.
The ex-Liverpool full-back arrived with glowing references from Madrid president Florentino Perez and returning head coach Jose Mourinho, whom he played under at the Spanish club.
However, his tenure in English football has so far been disappointing, despite guiding Fulham to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, where they will host Crystal Palace this month.
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