Discontent with Arbeloa already brewing in the Fulham dressing room

Fulham are still searching for their first Premier League victory of the season. The Londoners were on the verge of securing their first three points against Manchester United, but a late goal from Cunha, following an unfortunate deflection off Affengruber, sealed a 1-1 draw. It's a result that satisfies no one, especially manager Álvaro Arbeloa, whose team heads into the international break second from bottom with just two points from five matches and no league wins.

The situation is delicate, to say the least. Despite the poor start, the former Real Madrid academy coach still has the board's confidence in West London. Fulham's only two points have come against formidable opponents in Liverpool and Manchester United. However, the team has suffered defeats to Xabi Alonso's Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and Sunderland.

After the break, the fixture list offers a unique opportunity to turn things around: the Cottagers will face the three newly-promoted sides – Ipswich, Hull City, and Coventry.

It's clear that Fulham are paying a high price for the squad's lack of top-flight experience. In a league as physical, intense, and demanding as the Premier League, this inexperience is a heavy burden, especially for a team that has invested heavily in young talent from "La Fábrica" (Real Madrid's academy): Gonzalo García, César Palacios, and Manuel Ángel. The trio cost a combined €54 million, with García being the most expensive at €40 million.

So far, both Gonzalo and César Palacios have scored two goals each across all competitions. The pair are mainstays in the Spanish manager's system, while Manuel Ángel, the last to arrive, has yet to make his league debut, getting his first minutes in the League Cup elimination by West Ham in the third round.

Furthermore, the squad has been hampered by the absence of key figures such as Harry Wilson, Issa Diop, Saša Lukić, and the team's top scorer, Raúl Jiménez.

However, discontent with Arbeloa is already brewing among the players. A visibly frustrated Joachim Andersen expressed his bewilderment at the manager's decision to leave him out of the starting lineup for the last two matches. "I'm a little surprised. I was captain in many games last season," he told the Danish outlet 'Campo'.

The centre-back, who was a regular starter under Marco Silva for the past two seasons, received a red card in May, resulting in a three-match ban. He served two of those games that same month and the final one in the 3-2 loss to Chelsea in the opening match of this season.

Arbeloa used him in the defeats to Sunderland and Crystal Palace but benched him against Liverpool. On Sunday, he came on for the final ten minutes. His place in central defence alongside Calvin Bassey was taken by Affengruber – a summer signing specifically requested by Arbeloa.

"We lost the first three games. I was suspended for the first one. Then the coach decided we needed to make changes. But I don't have much to say about it. There's not much I can do, and I think I've been playing brilliantly. Sometimes the coach wants to try something different, and that's how it is," Andersen concluded.