Premier League manager sack race: Alvaro Arbeloa Fulham future 'in balance'

Fulham have reportedly given manager Alvaro Arbeloa two games to save his job at Craven Cottage.

After his stint with Real Madrid, the Cottagers hierarchy had high hopes that the Spaniard was the ideal successor to Marco Silva.

However, Fulham sit at the bottom of the Premier League table with just two points from their six matches.

The West Londoners had been on course to beat Ipswich Town on Saturday, only to concede two late goals to succumb to a 2-1 defeat at Portman Road.

As a result, Fulham's board will be increasingly worried about an extended stay in the Premier League relegation zone.

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Arbeloa given two matches to save Fulham job?

According to The Standard, Arbeloa has been given just two matches to save his job at Fulham.

The report suggests that failure to beat at least one of Hull City and Coventry City - two other newly-promoted teams - could lead to Arbeloa being removed from his position in the Fulham dugout.

That is despite the respectable draws that have been earned against Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as a 3-2 victory at West Ham United in the EFL Cup.

Fulham also only lost 3-2 to Chelsea in their opening game of the season, but a tendency to concede late goals could convince the club's board to move in a different direction.

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Fulham taking a risk by considering Arbeloa future

Whoever replaced long-term incumbent Silva was always going to find it difficult, and there should be an acceptance behind the scenes at Fulham that would be the case.

Spending nearly £50m on three players that Arbeloa knows from his time at Real Madrid felt like deals which emphasised their faith in the former defender.

Poor results against the likes of Hull and Coventry would hardly inspire confidence, but parting ways with Arbeloa after just 10 matches would represent a bizarre move.