Arsene Wenger Talks 'Ridiculous' Fan Protests, Arsenal Future and More

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has condemned some of the protests against him from Gunners fans last season as "ridiculous," but he said his indecision over signing a new deal could have affected the side's form.

Wenger's new two-year contract was finally announced in late May following a mixed 2016-17 term in which Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League but won the FA Cup.

The campaign was punctuated by various fan protests against Wenger, calling for him to step down as manager after more than 20 years in charge, and the Frenchman has had his say on the incidents, per France Football (via Get French Football News):

"There have been a lot of divisions amongst Arsenal supporters. They have sometimes been expressed in a ridiculous way, like when a plane flew over the Emirates with a message that was hostile towards me. 

"Maybe my attitude had an impact on our season, because, at one point, the players came to me and asked me, 'what is going on, boss?' With my indecisiveness, I created a lack of clarity in the dressing room. And there is nothing worse than when players feel like you are not totally committed. So, at one moment, I said to them: 'I am with you guys, but we have to win matches'."

Now 67 years old, Wenger will lead Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League this season after the Gunners failed to make it into the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

Before last term, Arsenal had not finished outside the Premier League's top four since the 1995-96 campaign, the season before Wenger's appointment in Oct. 1996.

The former Monaco boss has won three Premier League titles in his Arsenal reign, but the last came in 2004, and since then he has come under increasingly fierce pressure as the Gunners have failed to compete with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City.

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The initial aim in 2017-18 will likely be to return Arsenal to the top four, but many Gunners fans will only be placated by a genuine title challenge that lasts through the season.

Wenger also told France Football (via GFFN) that "every defeat is a nightmare," while he said he did not know whether he will stay at the club or call it a day when his current contract expires in 2019.

In their Premier League season-opener last week, Arsenal scraped a victory in a thrilling 4-3 win against Leicester City.

Their next opponents are Stoke City on Saturday at the Bet365 Stadium, a ground Arsenal have struggled at in the past.

As speculated by the Times' Henry Winter, "north London flag-makers and plane hire companies were expecting calls from irate Arsenal fans" when the Gunners were 3-2 down to Leicester after an hour at the Emirates Stadium.

The same will be true if Arsenal fail to beat the Potters as Wenger remains in a fragile position.