Fulham have disappeared from the Instagram accounts of Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe following the club’s pointless start to the Premier League season.
Neither player currently has any Fulham-related photographs visible on his profile, prompting speculation among supporters about the atmosphere inside Álvaro Arbeloa’s dressing room.
Iwobi’s account contains only three posts, none involving the club, while his biography has been reduced to “17” — his Fulham squad number and the name under which he releases music.
It remains unclear when he removed the photographs. Some supporters believe Iwobi cleared his account several months ago as part of his musical rebranding, meaning the apparent protest may have begun before there was anything in particular to protest about.
Smith Rowe appears to have removed every post from his account rather than specifically targeting Fulham. He also continues to tag the club in his biography, leaving Fulham present but operating from a considerably less prominent part of the profile.
Neither player has publicly explained the changes or suggested that they are unhappy at Craven Cottage.
Attention surrounding their accounts intensified after teammate Kevin posted a cryptic Instagram story reading: “No speak, no hear, no see.” The Brazilian had remained on the bench throughout Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
That loss followed defeats against Chelsea and Sunderland, leaving Fulham with no points from their opening three league matches and seven goals conceded.
Three consecutive defeats would previously have produced discussions about tactics, team selection and possible changes in defence. Modern football also requires a detailed inspection of whether a midfielder has archived photographs from pre-season training.
There is currently no evidence that the activity forms part of a coordinated player protest. It could instead represent two unrelated account clearances which became significant because another player posted three monkeys at an unfortunate time.
For now, Fulham remain on Smith Rowe’s profile, attached to Iwobi through his shirt number and contractually connected to both players.
They have simply been removed from the main grid, which in football is now approximately halfway between routine digital housekeeping and a formal transfer request.
