Pressure is mounting on Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa after a winless start to the Premier League season, with a former top scout arguing the club's problems run deeper than the dugout. The West London side sit rock bottom of the table with just two points from six matches, their latest setback a 2-1 defeat at Ipswich where they conceded twice in the final minutes after leading through Ryan Sessegnon's 55th-minute strike.

He warned that simply changing the manager would not magically heal all issues at Craven Cottage, suggesting the club has bigger problems to address.

Root causes of the decline

Brown identified the exits of former manager Marco Silva and winger Harry Wilson as the starting point for Fulham's current struggles. Silva, whose contract expired at the end of last season, was described as the key to everything the team did well. Wilson's goals and assists were also seen as vital to their success. Brown stated that the way Fulham played and the results they achieved were intrinsically tied to Silva, and Wilson's departure raised immediate questions about the squad's capability.

This structural shift is reflected in the stark league position. Fulham are 20th, having scored six goals and conceded ten. Their recent form reads one win, two draws and two defeats from the last five outings, a sequence that includes a 3-2 win at West Ham but also a last-gasp loss to Crystal Palace.

Upcoming fixtures and consequences

Attention now turns to a critical run of games, starting with a home match against Hull City on 17 October. Hull currently occupy eighth place, presenting another tough challenge. That another defeat, particularly in that fixture, could force the club's hierarchy to make a decision on Arbeloa's future. Frustration is growing among supporters, and there have been suggestions of discontent within the dressing room, compounding the on-field issues.

The immediate focus for Arbeloa and his squad is to find a formula to stop the slide. With the next match fast approaching, the team's preparations and any potential changes can be tracked via our fixtures page. Fulham must handle this period without the architect of their previous successes, Silva, and a primary attacking outlet in Wilson, making the task ahead a significant one for the current coaching staff.

More detail at Football Insider