Arsenal are unlikely to get back into Europe this season, but Mikel Arteta should be given time to turn the club's fortunes around, says Nigel Winterburn.
Arteta's first year in charge at Emirates Stadium has been a tubulent one with success in the FA Cup and Community Shield undermined by a woeful start to the 2020-21 campaign.
The Spaniard was expected to mastermind a return to the Champions League for Arsenal after delivering two domestic trophies, but instead finds himself trying to steer the club away from the relegation zone.
The Gunners have slipped to 15th in the Premier League standings, having lost eight of their opening 15 fixtures.
The north London outfit managed to bring a seven-match winless run to an end by beating Chelsea 3-1 on Saturday, but Arteta is still under pressure heading into the new year.
Arsenal are 15 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool and ten behind fourth placed Manchester United having played a game more, with another must-win fixture up next away at Brighton on Tuesday night.
Winterburn acknowledges Arteta could lose his job if the Gunners fail to string a run of positive results together over the next few weeks, but hopes the board will be patient with the Spaniard as he seeks to complete a long-term project at the Emirates.
"I never like to discuss the possibility of managers being sacked and who should replace them, but it does happen, of course it does," the Arsenal legend said at the launch of free-to-play fantasy football jackpot game Fantasy5.
"From everything I've heard since the day Mikel Arteta walked into the club, I've just heard good things. It would be wrong of me to say, 'I'd like to see this guy come in' if Arteta loses his job.
"You can bring a manager in who has won a Champions League, he's won league titles - but the only thing we're interested in is, can he do it when he comes to Arsenal? We shouldn't care about his past. His past really doesn't matter.
"I haven't thought about Arteta going as I didn't see it as an option that it could happen. I'd still like to see what Mikel Arteta can do and I'd like to see him given that time.
"However, results are everything and once someone squeezes, puts the pressure on and one of the board members starts to panic then I wouldn't be surprised if it did happen."
Asked if he thinks Arteta can salvage any silverware in the second half of the season, Winterburn responded: "You can't predict Arsenal winning anything in the form we're in - that's just ridiculous. You just can't do that. They would have to have some sensational form in the league from now until the end of the season to even get back into Europe.
"We need to talk about current form with the manager and the players who have got to turn it around quickly. Back-to-back victories will help them build confidence and belief within the team.
"There's lots of games still to come. People keep talking about the run in the Europa League - I expected Arsenal to win those games. When talking about the Premier League though, it's ruthless.
"You're coming up against strong opponents every single week."
The former Gunners defender went on to claim that only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka would get into the teams he played for under George Graham and Arsene Wenger, and he doesn't believe the duo would have been regular starters.
"Who would I put him [Aubameyang] in for? Would I put him in instead of Ian Wright? Would I put him in instead of Thierry Henry? I don't think many people would take that hit," Winterburn added.
"I'd have him in the squad. I'd have Bukayo Saka in the squad, for sure. There's probably a couple more."