Arsenal Academy manager Per Mertesacker has conceded that first-team boss Mikel Arteta has no choice but to 'learn fast' on the job as the Spaniard aims to restore the Gunners to their former glories.
Arteta has overseen Arsenal's worst start to a season in 118 years this term, the Gunners losing their opening three games, scoring zero and conceding nine in the process - but the rut appears to have stopped, at least for the time being after successive wins over Norwich and Burnley respectively.
Large sections of the Arsenal faithful have begun to question just how long Arteta could survive in the Emirates hot-seat, particularly after the recent 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City - arguably the lowest point of the 39-year-old manager's tenure since he took the reigns in late 2019.
Arteta's appointment was one that divided opinion given his total inexperience with the task at hand, but former Arsenal defender and current academy boss Mertesacker has shed light on what Arteta does bring to the table.
Speaking to The Beautiful Game podcast, the ex-Germany international said: "I hope Mikel gets the time that he needs.
"When you look at it from a case of ‘first managerial job – Arsenal football club’, where you would hope you have people with experience to know how to deal with these adverse moments, how to deal with successful moments like winning the FA Cup.
"I think sometimes it is difficult to explain but what Mikel gives you is a hell of a lot of experience as an assistant coach under Pep Guardiola – he wanted to make that next step and people, hierarchies trusted him."
Mertesacker did go on to concede that Arteta will be in "trouble" if he oversees another three game losing streak again.
"He presented himself as someone who wants to lead us into these difficult moments so I could only agree but if I had known, how he reacts to difficult moments – he needs to learn fairly quickly, let’s be honest.
He needs to learn super, super quick because in football, and being manager of Arsenal football club – if you lose three games on the spin, you are in trouble.
HAVE YOUR SAY! How much time should Arteta be given? Comment below.
"You cannot have one or two moments of this, that’s the reality of the game and the football club."
Arsenal have spent big this summer, parting ways with £145m on six different additions as they aim to improve on two successive eighth-placed finishes.
All six of the Gunners new recruits are aged 23 or under, representing a clear strategy that is heavily focused on long-term success, something Mertesacker described as a "transition period".
