Arsene Wenger insisted it would be "inconvenient" to discuss his future as Arsenal manager despite admitting that the Gunners now face an uphill struggle to make the Premier League’s top four.
Champions League qualification is the very best that Wenger can hope for from this season, but another tepid performance brought about a 3-0 reverse against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday night to leave them sixth in the table.
Wenger, 67, has qualified for Europe's elite competition in each of his last 19 seasons at the club, but as his contract as manager enters its final few months and uncertainty surrounding his future persists, his team have rarely convinced.
Sections of Arsenal's supporters were critical of their team as they again chanted for Wenger to leave, but the manager again refused to clarify whether he would be staying beyond the end of the season.
"Honestly, I'm disappointed so much," he said. "To see that we lost the game in the way we did, that's very disappointing. At the moment especially, it would be inconvenient for me to speak about me.
"It was more painful for us to lose this game in the way we lost it.” When asked about finishing in the top four, he responded: “Very difficult, certainly."I want the fans to support the team.
"They are extremely disappointed and I can understand that, like we all are. It is understandable that they are disappointed."
Wenger continued: "We played with a desire to win the game with an offensive team. We knew what would face us. Their goalkeeper (Wayne Hennessey) took the free-kicks from half-way, so it was up to us to combat that and win. But they were sharper than us.
"The fact that we've lost a few away games: it's really strange. We were unbeaten for a long time away from home, and now we cannot win away from home. It had an impact on us after the second goal."
The pressure continues to mount on Wenger however, with pundits and former players lining up to say it was time for him to go.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher pulled no punches in his assessment.
He said: "From top to bottom the club is not right. Graeme Souness summed it up best a while back when he called them a team of son-in-laws.
"What father would want his daughter to bring one of them home? I'm serious. Bottling it, cowards, ducking out of challenges."
Former striker Ian Wright led the condemnation of Arsenal's performance, saying: "At least I tried. That dressing room is lost. Brilliant stuff palace."
Former Arsenal right-back Lee Dixon was also critical of the players, posting on his Twitter account: "Sometimes players have nights where nothing goes right. All 11 of them tonight."
