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Wenger has no need to worry

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Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis insists Arsene Wenger retains the full backing of the club's board and his hunger to be a success.

Gunners board offer full backing to boss

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis insists Arsene Wenger retains the full backing of the club's board and his hunger to be a success. Some reports have suggested that the French tactician finds himself under pressure after overseeing a disappointing opening to the 2011/12 campaign. Wenger has been considered to be virtually untouchable throughout his Arsenal tenure, but results and performances have taken an alarming dip of late. There is, however, full confidence within Emirates Stadium that fortunes will soon take a turn for the better and the season will be back on track. That is the view of Gazidis and he has assured Wenger that majority shareholder Stan Kroenke has no plans to wield the axe.

Collective responsibility

He told Sky Sports News HD: "No, he shouldn't be worried. What I think Arsene is concerned about is what we have to do to set our course straight on the pitch. "Arsene and Stan and I have been working very closely together, there is no division between us, and there is a collective responsibility for what happens at the club. "Arsene has been an incredible manager for this club, he is one of the most in-demand managers in the world, and we are very fortunate to have him tied down to a long-term contract. We are lucky to have someone who cares about the responsible development of the club. "Obviously in sport you always have ups and downs and the important thing is to keep focused on what we have to do and make sure we take the steps to turn around this season, but also that Arsenal can stay, as it has for the last 14 years, at the top of the game. We can then look ahead to next year and five to 10 years from now. I am convinced that we have a really solid platform to do that. "The financial position of the club is strong, that's the platform that has been created over the years by consistent success, and although we live in a short-term news cycle where every up and down will be reported on as if it is a catastrophe, the truth is that the club has been incredibly consistent and will find its way back to consistency."
Strong squad
Gazidis has also sought to play down reports suggesting Wenger has lost his appetite for the Gunners post. He claims the 61-year-old, who has spent 15 years in the Arsenal hot-seat, remains as determined as ever to lead the club into a bright and successful future. "He absolutely does," he added. "The portrayals of him as being a broken man could not be further from the truth. Arsene is incredibly focused on what he needs to do and addressing the issues that he has seen. "We have got a deep and strong squad, with a good mixture of youth and experience, and we know that we have the talent level to put things right."

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