Didier Drogba has defended former boss Jose Mourinho against claims the Manchester United manager has lost his touch.
"He's not a has-been," Drogba told RTL. "I think that it's a very big challenge for him. I think he has to take some time to build a team."
Drogba, 38, forged a strong relationship with Mourinho, 53, when the pair worked together at Chelsea between 2004 and 2007, bringing two Premier League titles to Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho even brought the striker back to west London for the 2014-15 campaign to win another top-flight crown before Drogba departed for MLS franchise Montreal Impact.
Last season, however, Mourinho was sacked by the Blues, and though he has since taken over at United, he has struggled to maintain consistency with last weekend's victory over Swansea City his team's first in four Premier League outings.
That disappointing run included a 4-0 defeat at Chelsea, and United headed into the international break in sixth place, six points behind Arsenal -- their next Premier League opponents -- in fourth.