The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈

After long-serving manager Marco Silva took the Benfica job, the $1 million question on Fulham fans’ lips is who will be the next man to replace their boss, who did a respectable job in his time in the Craven Cottage hot seat.

After a round of talks with candidates and managers, such as Arne Slot turning down the deal, and now former Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna taking a break from management, the Fulham board seemed to have settled with former Liverpool defender and Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa.

Since the end of his playing days, the full-back has been on the coaching staff of 15-time European champions Real Madrid. Last season, he made the step up to head coach, but it appeared the 43-year-old struggled in the role.

It could be argued that this was due to the management of strong personalities like Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé. Los Blancos had a tough season last year, which there is no denying. The coach can’t be solely blamed for the team’s failings last term.

With respect to the West London side, they’re no Real Madrid, but they’re a club in the Premier League, a league that can mercilessly eat up and spit out managers.

Ruben Amorim is an example of this, who ironically was linked with the job at Craven Cottage.

Now former Fulham boss Silva was also a man who saw his reputation take a dent after some bad experiences in some coaching roles, but over time, five years to be exact, he can leave his job at Craven Cottage with his head held high.

Arbeloa did have some bumps along the way, but I want to mention he did beat Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in last season’s Champions League. Not many clubs beat the Portuguese giants; in fact, in the domestic League games, no one did.

Simply put, I am not keen on this appointment. I don’t think Alvaro Arbeloa is experienced enough, and maybe not strong-minded enough, to take on such a job. That said, the 43-year-old deserves to rebuild his reputation.

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