Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has insisted that his future is not the priority as he seeks to guide the struggling Premier League side to their first league victory of the season against Hull City on Saturday.
Fulham sit bottom of the table with two points after six matches, having recorded two draws and four defeats, increasing pressure on the Spanish manager.
Arbeloa, 43, is reportedly facing the possibility of losing his job if Fulham suffer another defeat when they host Hull at Craven Cottage.
However, the former Liverpool defender said the week had been normal despite speculation surrounding his position.
According to BBC Sport on Friday, the Fulham gaffer was quoted as saying, “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 came close to securing their first win of the campaign against Ipswich Town last weekend after Ryan Sessegnon gave them the lead, but two late goals condemned them to another disappointing result.
They had also surrendered a potential victory against Manchester United before the international break after Matheus Cunha scored a deflected late goal to deny them all three points.
Arbeloa said his players were eager to reward the supporters for their continued backing.
“They are looking for the reward and looking for a game where they can get a win for the supporters; they deserve it because of their support,” he said.
“It is important 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.