Arsenal great Paul Merson believes Mikel Arteta will be given plenty of time to get his old side backing firing.
The former Gunners captain was appointed as Unai Emery’s successor back in December, but he inherited a serious rebuild job at the Emirates.
However, before football was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Spaniard’s side had begun to find form in the Premier League, but a Europa League defeat to Olympiakos was seen as a huge set-back.
But Merson believes that "Arteta is no Tiger Woods" and will be given plenty of time at the Emirates because the north London club know they cannot realistically challenge for the top honours just yet.
“I think this situation helps someone like Mikel Arteta,” he wrote in his Sky Sports column. “Arsenal need such an overhaul of players that it's actually almost impossible to get that many players in.
“Arsenal's expectations will be nowhere near as high as they were a few months ago. I think he'll now be given loads and loads of time to build.
“He's young, he's enthusiastic, and he'll want to work with younger players.
“He's not a Mourinho or Pep Guardiola, who I'd call your Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroys - they're just dealing in majors, nothing else! Arteta is the type who might work from the ground up with lesser players.”
Before Merson continued: “I quite like it because now coaches have got to be coaches, they've got to make these players better.
“I think clubs are going to be really, really cautious in the market.
“For me, this is where coaches become coaches. It's all well and good buying £80 million players all the time.
“Seriously, what do you need to coach an £80m player? If you're coaching an £80m player, telling them what they need to do, he isn't worth £80m.
“The good coaches will come to the fore, and those that aren't will struggle. Some will blossom, some will not.”
