Arsene Wenger's Arsenal press conference full transcript ahead of Sutton FA Cup clash

The Arsenal manager claimed he will still be in management next season, whether that is at Arsenal or elsewhere

Arsene Wenger's current Arsenal deal expires at the end of the season (Getty)

Arsene Wenger has insisted that he will remain in management next season, regardless of whether he extends his 20-year long tenure at Arsenal.

The 67-year-old Frenchman's current contract with the north London club expires at the end of the season, but he will only make a decision on whether to renew his commitment in March or April.

Speaking after his side's devastating 5-1 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich and ahead of Monday's FA Cup fifth round clash with Sutton United, Wenger reflected on the speculation surrounding his future

Reflecting on the defeat in Bayern, what are you thoughts now?

That we were in an ideal position at half-time, because we scored a goal away from home. After that, it all went wrong for us.

I think we looked quite defensively solid in the first half. We lost Koscielny in the second half and after that we lost our structure and our organisation a bit.

We were a bit naive on the different goals we conceded. At 3-1 I felt we were mentally affected by the result and much more vulnerable.

What is the update on Koscielny?

I don’t know, he has a scan today.

What sort of team are we likely to see at Sutton?

A normal team.

Will you give some youngsters a chance?

Yes, I gave them a chance because I think they deserved to play and have a good opportunity to come in for players who usually play, and I think they have done well and one or two might have another chance to say that he can play in every single game now.

The main emotion is that everybody after a big disappointment regroups and focuses on what is in front of us - the next game - and to take care of the consequences a disappointing result can have on everybody’s spirit inside the club and to make sure that we bounce back and focus on the next game. That’s what life is about.

Was the defeat in Bayern one of his worst results?

I think we can speak now - I know the media likes this kind of press conference - but what is important for us is to focus on our next game and let everybody judge and criticise.

We have to deal with that, with the media, and focus on what is our job. We can analyse with clarity what happened and focus and take care of what is in front of us and what we can influence.

It’s not the last result - we can influence that when we play against Bayern at home. At the moment we have to look at our next game.

His players looked ‘mentally jaded’ on Wednesday night. Can that be changed?

Just what I told you - rebuild confidence and belief in what we think is important in the game.

That means the way we want to play football, the way we want to defend, the way we want to attack and the way we want to respond together.

Was there a row in the dressing room?

No. Not at all. Everybody was of course deeply disappointed and affected but there was no incident in the dressing room apart from a huge sadness and disappointment.

Is the FA Cup now Arsenal’s only chance of a trophy?

I don’t know, but the FA Cup is one of our targets. It’s the next game and for us to bounce back after the game we just had, it becomes a very important game. But it always was, in my head.

Has his attitude changed to Monday’s game at Sutton?

No, I always had in my head that it was a very important game. In my head I have a team that will start and play there for a week or 10 days now. That result we had at Bayern Munich will not influence that selection.

Why has Alexis Sanchez been given time off?

He has a court case in Barcelona and he will be back in training tomorrow.

Does the criticism still get to him after 20 years?

No. Because I am used to it. I am here for 20 years and I think in life it is important that you do what you think is right. All the rest of it is judgement and I am in a public job and I have to accept that. I have to behave with my values and with the way that I see my job and accept that everybody can have an opinion on it.

Did he say he would decide his Arsenal future in March or April?

Yes.

Will he decide his future in March or April?

I don’t know.

Has he spoken to Stan Kroenke, the majority shareholder, and Ivan Gazidis, the club’s chief executive?

Every time I have the opportunity, I do.

What is their view?

I do not want to come back on that. At the moment we have other priorities. My personal [future] as I said many times is not important.

It’s Arsenal Football Club and the future of our team and what we can achieve until the end of the season, that is important.

Does he ever feel like he has had enough?

No. No matter what I happens, I will manage next season, whether it’s here or somewhere else. That’s absolutely for sure. On a night like that, of course I hate defeat and I hate to lose games.

I want to do extremely well for this club and I feel a big responsibility. You do not stay somewhere for 20 years to then walk out after a defeat like that.

It is difficult to take, but I have the strength and experience to respond to that. I would just like to add as well that we played against a good Bayern team who have won this competition, and who have 11 top-class players.

We have to give credit to our opponents as well sometimes. It’s important to put things into perspective in this competition, and they are top-class players.

Did he watch Sutton’s 5-0 defeat to Boreham Wood in the FA Cup?

Sutton had six or seven players who didn’t play, so they didn’t play with their regular team. I expect a completely different game against us. It will be the FA Cup with everybody supporting them.

They’ve been preparing for this game for a long time in their heads with a huge enthusiasm, so you cannot compare that with the game against Boreham Wood.

Wenger's side were emphatically beaten by bete noires Bayern Munich on Wednesday (Getty)

Was he there?

I was not at the game, I was busy on the day.

Is speculation over his future helpful?

No I think we have to focus on real problems. The real problems are the way we play football and not my future. The priority is how we respond to a defeat and how we will play together.

That’s what it is to be professional. It’s always important not to look for the wrong excuses in life, and to focus on what is important, what you can influence and what is your job.

Some supporters feel it is time for him to leave…

Maybe, that is an eternal debate when you are somewhere for a long time and you have a big disappointment. Even if I go, Arsenal will not win every single game in the future, that is part of it, you have to accept that as much as it hurts to lose games.

If you look at the history of Arsenal, Arsenal had less Champions League games when I arrived than I had in my career already and since then we have done a few, so I hope in the future we can win this trophy, or Arsenal can win this trophy.

But it is not like I arrived Arsenal had already won the European Cup five times - they had never won the European Cup. They played maybe 10 games in the history of the club so you have to take into perspective some demands.

Should fans be careful what they wish for?

No, I think what is important is that the club makes the right decision for the future.

I do not work here for 20 years not to care about this club, because I had many opportunities to go somewhere else during that period and I care about this club and I care about it’s future.

It is very important that the club is always in safe hands, whether that is me or someone else, which I am sure it will be.

Is it his decision or the club’s?

I don’t want to continue to talk about that now. I think that chapter is closed and we have to focus on what is important.

Is there an underlying problem behind his side’s poor form?

Look as long as you do not win absolutely everything there is always something wrong and you have to accept that because you want always to go to the next level.

On the other hand, in the last 20 years in Europe only three clubs have managed to play every year in the Champions League and not is Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and nobody else.

That means if everything is not perfect, not all is wrong. We have to accept that.

It will be difficult this year because it is a fight at the top level where we have to focus on what is really important now, which is the quality of our performances and the quality of our games.