Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has moved to calm speculation surrounding unusual social media behaviour from three of his squad members following the club's recent defeat to Crystal Palace.
Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe both scrubbed any mention of Fulham from their personal profiles, while Brazilian winger Kevin shared a cryptic Instagram story reading "No speak, no hear, no see" after the loss to the Eagles. Kevin had remained an unused substitute in that match, while Smith Rowe was introduced with just ten minutes remaining. Iwobi, meanwhile, started the fixture before being withdrawn for Rodrigo Muniz in the 83rd minute.
The timing of the messages has drawn attention given the trio's inconsistent minutes under Arbeloa this season. Iwobi also featured from the start alongside Sander Berge in the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, a match in which Smith Rowe and Kevin were again introduced late from the bench. Prior to that game, both Smith Rowe and Kevin were given a rare opportunity to start in the 3-0 League Cup win over AFC Wimbledon, though they found themselves left out of the squad entirely for the opening-day 3-2 home loss against local rivals Chelsea.
With Cesar Palacios established as Arbeloa's preferred option on the left wing and Oscar Bobb operating on the right, opportunities have been limited for the trio. Josh King has meanwhile nailed down the No10 role, while Iwobi remains the only one of the three to have started every league fixture so far this campaign.
Speaking ahead of Fulham's upcoming trip to face Liverpool, Arbeloa was pressed on the players' online activity and offered a measured response, framing it as a natural reaction to being left out of the side.
"I think you learn more about a group after a defeat than after a win, and they have worked with a very positive attitude this week," Arbeloa said.
The Spaniard added that he does not view frustration among unused squad members as a negative sign, but rather as evidence of ambition and commitment.
"When you're a player and you aren't playing, you can't be happy. I expect that feeling from my players that aren't playing. I want them to show me they aren't happy in our training sessions. That's the most important thing for me," he explained.
Arbeloa went on to praise the overall mentality within his squad despite the difficult start to the campaign.
"I can see how hard they are working. I feel I have a very good group with a very good attitude," he said.
Fulham have yet to register a league win since Arbeloa succeeded Marco Silva as manager over the summer, leaving the former Real Madrid defender under early pressure to turn results around. The Cottagers now face a demanding run of fixtures, starting with the Premier League visit to Anfield, before a Carabao Cup third-round tie away at West Ham United. A home clash against Manchester United follows the week after, giving Arbeloa several opportunities to silence doubts and potentially reintegrate his frustrated fringe players into the starting XI.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.