EPL: Arbeloa demands 90-minute focus as Fulham seek first victory
Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has maintained that his personal future is not his primary concern as he endeavors to lead the struggling Premier League club to their inaugural league victory of the season against Hull City on Saturday.
Fulham currently occupies the bottom position in the table with two points accumulated from six matches, having achieved two draws and suffered four defeats, which has intensified scrutiny on the Spanish manager.
Arbeloa, 43, is reportedly confronting the prospect of dismissal should Fulham experience another defeat when they face Hull at Craven Cottage.
Nevertheless, the former Liverpool defender stated that the week had proceeded normally despite conjecture regarding his employment status.
According to BBC Sport on Friday, the Fulham manager was quoted as stating, "It is not about me, it is about the club, the players and the supporters," Arbeloa said.
"It is not about my future. As I said before, it is about the club and my players."
Fulham narrowly missed securing their first victory of the season against Ipswich Town the previous weekend after Ryan Sessegnon opened the scoring, but two goals conceded in the closing stages resulted in another unsatisfactory outcome.
They had similarly relinquished a potential triumph against Manchester United prior to the international break after Matheus Cunha scored a deflected goal in the final moments to prevent them from obtaining all three points.
Arbeloa expressed that his players were determined to provide the supporters with a positive result for their unwavering loyalty.
"They are seeking the reward and pursuing a match in which they can secure a victory for the supporters; they merit it due to their commitment," he said.
They had similarly relinquished a potential triumph against Manchester United prior to the international break after Matheus Cunha scored a deflected goal in the final moments to prevent them from obtaining all three points.
Arbeloa expressed that his players were determined to provide the supporters with a positive result for their unwavering loyalty.
"They are seeking the reward and pursuing a match in which they can secure a victory for the supporters; they merit it due to their commitment," he said.
"It is significant for all of us."
The Spaniard joined Fulham in the summer on a three-year contract, replacing Marco Silva after a brief spell as Real Madrid’s interim head coach.
Despite his difficult start in English football, Fulham have progressed to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup and are scheduled to face Crystal Palace at home this month.
Asked whether he believed his players remained committed to his plans, Arbeloa pointed to their performances against Ipswich, Manchester United and Liverpool, where Fulham secured a goalless draw at Anfield.
“They did for many minutes against Ipswich. We did against Manchester United, and we did against Liverpool,” he said.
“For me, we need to try to keep that level for 90 minutes; that is important.”
Arbeloa added that his players had shown the right attitude in training ahead of the crucial encounter.
“I saw the commitment of the players in how they have been training. They are so focused on tomorrow’s game,” he said.
A positive result against Hull would offer Fulham some relief and ease the pressure on their manager ahead of another challenging fixture against Championship winners Coventry City next weekend.
