Former Arsenal captain Robin van Persie is confident that his old teammate Mikel Arteta can become a great manager at the Emirates Stadium.
The Spaniard has endured tough challenges during the early stages of his managerial career in North London, with the general consensus being that plenty of work is required.
Pressure upon the former midfielder has increased following the three-month hiatus of action, as Arsenal have struggled to find consistency.
However, Van Persie is backing Arteta to come good but has identified that plenty of work is required to improve the side when defending set-pieces.
"Let me start in saying, I do believe in Mikel. I played with Mikel for one year, so I know how he is as a person, I know how he was as a player. He was a good player, but I do believe he can become a great manager," he told BT Sport.
"You can see his hand, you can see his hand in this team. But you can see that this team is not fully connected yet. If you look at the connection from defence to midfield to strikers, it’s not moving as one.
"He’s still searching. But I do believe if you give him time, and he should get all of the time he needs. Not just months, he should get years. I do believe he can get it right.
“What I believe is very important for Arsenal, and for Mikel, is that they should finally find a way to fix the set-pieces against - corners, free-kicks, crosses - it’s like with every cross against Arsenal, you’re holding your breath.
"How do you fix that? Do you fix that with mental toughness?"
