Modern football demands immediate success. The money injected by tycoons, along with increasingly demanding fans, means that players, managers and chairmen are not allowed time to settle. Success is expected within a few games of your arrival and it is simply not feasible in some cases.

Managers are sacked if they don't turn things around within three games and players, partly because of their huge wages, are expected to adapt to different tactics, team-mates and surroundings immediately. The demands are tough and they are just getting tougher. Fans need to learn to afford their players time and, so do managers. Managers are quick to pull the trigger - partly because someone is quick to shoot them down from above, too - but they are often discarding real class acts prematurely.

We can prove this point for you. The FIVE players we are about to reveal are perfect examples of how a bit of patience can really pay dividends...

Cristiano Ronaldo

ronaldo

Whether you think he's better than Lionel Messi or not, there is no denying that Cristiano Ronaldo is a modern footballing icon.

The Portuguese star was only a boy when he arrived at Manchester United and many people condemned him to show-pony status early on - poor finishing, awful decision making and questionable hairstyles made him a figure of fun. While many other managers may have been under significant pressure to replace a young Ronaldo, the equally iconic Sir Alex Ferguson stuck by him, with miraculous results.

Michael Essien

Michael Essien

Never truly disappointing, Michael Essien arrived at Chelsea under huge pressure after a summer-long transfer saga.

The Ghanian eventually developed a reputation as one of the best combative midfielders in the world, but, if it wasn't for Chelsea's midfield depth, he may not have remained at the club. These days you fear a club would give up on a player who took a while to settle, but his eventually success more than justified the wait.

Erik Lamela

Football - Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa - Barclays Premier League - White Hart Lane - 15/16 - 2/11/15
Tottenham Hotspur's Erik Lamela
Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Couldridge

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The much-maligned ex-Roma star has come of age this season. His final campaign in Italy saw him become a real superstar in Serie A and tipped as one of the most promising players in Europe.

However, it has only been under Mauricio Pochettino - and particularly this season - that Lamela has begun to look like the players Spurs spent all that money on. Now a hard-working, powerful pressing asset and a creative spark from the right the Argentine is pivotal in the team.

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Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba

A true icon of Chelsea Football Club, Didier Drogba will never have to pay for a drink in the west of London.

However, the Ivorian was not always so popular. Initially signed for £24m, he looked clumsy, dived regularly and frankly looked short of the quality that the Blues desired. Going on to become one of the club's all-time greats was not on the cards at that point.

Yet, an improved attitude and development of his link-up play saw Drogba become one of the most fearsome strikers in Europe and the Blues' investment and patience was more than rewarded. Would Chelsea have the same lenience now?

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Marko Arnautovic

Marko Arnautovic (centre)

After a troubled start to his career, Arnautovic is now settled at Stoke.

The Austrian has struggled with his approach to the game and regularly fallen out with superiors at former clubs, but he is now comfortably the Potters' most important player.

Initially he was not popular with the fans as his lack of interest in tracking runners and occasional sulking saw him make plenty of enemies. Unlike more wealthy clubs, the Potters had little choice but to stick by him and it has sure worked out for the best.

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