Wigan manager Steve Bruce is wary of Tottenham's foreign legion finding their form at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Spurs will be looking for their first Barclays Premier League win of the season after making their worst start in 34 years.
Coach Juande Ramos has splashed out over £60million this summer, although Croatia midfielder Luka Modric and Russia striker Roman
Pavlyuchenko have yet to make their mark.
Bruce has helped players from Ecuador, Egypt and Honduras adapt to the English game at Wigan, and the former Birmingham boss believes Spurs fans must be patient before Ramos' signings pay off.
"When you're making big changes it takes time to settle," said Bruce.
"I don't care what player you are, when you're coming from Russia or other parts of Europe then you need time.
"We've experienced that here. For instance, when Wilson Palacios was at Birmingham he took three or four months to settle.
"And we had Maynor Figueroa here for five months before we gave him his debut against Manchester United last season.
"You have to let them get used to the conditions, to what's expected of them and, most importantly, to try to adapt to the English way of life.
"Believe me, that's not easy because we're a strange race, and us English are hopeless at trying to adapt when we go and live abroad.
"It's a very difficult time to get them all gelling and playing the way you want to, and patience is the key.
"We're only four games in. If you're talking about eight to 12 games then you can start analysing it more deeply."
Wigan have not won in three previous visits to White Hart Lane, losing 4-0 there last November to give Ramos his first league win as Spurs boss.
But the Latics pulled off a 5-0 victory at Hull in their last away game and Spurs have taken just a point from their opening four league outings this season.
"That shows everybody how the Premier League is because Tottenham have spent a fortune on players," said Bruce.
"They won't be there at the end of the season, but it shows anybody is capable in this league of going three, four or five games without a win.
"There will come a time when we might go four, five or six games very easily.
"So we are under no illusion that in going to Spurs we will have to play well to get anything from the game.
"They gave us an absolute hiding last year, so I hope we can turn the tables.
"The longer it goes without us giving them any encouragement it becomes more dificult for them, especially when they've had a poor start," he added.
"Spurs have certainly got some fantastic individual players that can win any game of football so we know it's going to be difficult.
"We haven't got the best of records there so we've got to go down there and make sure we play like we have been. If we do that then I know Tottenham will be in for a game."
Bruce has a selection dilemma in midfield with Lee Cattermole serving a one-match ban after being sent off in last week's 1-1 draw at home against Sunderland.
Michael Brown, Olivier Kapo, Jason Koumas and Paul Scharner are all in contention to partner Wilson Palacios in centre midfield, with
Brown hoping to face his former club.
