Gazidis: Arsenal's backbone is strong

Arsenal CEO Gazidis: Full backing for Wenger.

by Stuart Matthews

It was anything but an ordinary breakfast. It was a breakfast which Ivan Gazidis will hope put some meat on the bones.

Gadizis, Arsenal's chief executive officer, took questions Tuesday morning at the Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London, and his answers were meaty as prime pork: Arsenal are not starving, the manager Arsène Wenger is not broken by this season's shuddering start, and the team has the backbone to survive and thrive.

Gazidis spoke after Arsenal's wrenching 4-3 loss at Blackburn and Tuesday night's League Cup encounter with Shrewsbury Town - a match many outsiders are considering a must for Wenger's men to win.

"That is the frustration that Arsène is wrestling with," Gazidis said. "He is absolutely not broken. He is as focused on delivering success to this football club as he has ever been. Believe it or not, he didn’t become a bad manager or somebody who is out of touch with the game - it’s absolute nonsense."

The red tops may have been screaming for Wenger's head in a week which has seen Arsenal stumble to its worst start in 58 years, laying bare defensive frailties and the manager's own frustrations..

But the Arsenal CEO said he and majority owner Stan Kroenke are backing Wenger to put the men in red right, and that their self-sustaining business model proves the club will soon be moving back in the right direction.

Following the late-summer departures of stars Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, Wenger shored up Arsenal's resources with a flurry of activity at the close of the transfer window with five signings. And Gazidis said more is to come as Arsenal negotiate the hurdles toward the January transfer period.

"The potential is there and everyone can see it," Gazidis said. "Last year we played some of the best football in the Premier League, and yet we self-destructed at key moments. We've seen that a few times this season again, and that is something we have to correct."

And Gazidis insisted Wenger remains the club's man going forward despite the most difficult period of his 15 years at the Gunners' helm. Said the CEO: "(Wenger) is recognised around the world not only as an inspirational leader, but a battler and ultimately a winner. I believe for very solid reasons that he is the man to get us back on track.”