Gazidis: Arsenal need major trophies

Arsenal need to win major titles and are under pressure to deliver them, chief executive Ivan Gazidis has said.

The Gunners ended a nine-year wait for a major trophy when they won the FA Cup in 2014 and successfully defended the trophy the following year, but it is 12 years since they last won the Premier League.

Arsene Wenger's side looked well place to end that run last season when they topped the table at the turn of the year but a poor second half to the campaign saw them finish second, ten points adrift of champions Leicester.

Having missed out on the title, Gazidis admits finishing second is not good enough and he is keen to deliver success in a way that is 'consistent with the club's values'.

"We need to win the major titles, and we feel that pressure every day," he told the New York Times.

"And so for us, there is a sense of disappointment and frustration that last season we finished in second place. Second place isn't what we're aiming for. We're aiming to win it.

"Achieving consistency provides us with the opportunity to compete at that level and try to win it every year, and that's obviously a good thing.

"But that's not our objective. Our objective is to win the major trophies, and to put the club in a position where it can consistently compete for the major trophies. And I would add, very importantly for us, to do it in a way that's consistent with our club values."

Lack of success in the league has resulted in a section of fans calling for Wenger to step down as manager but he continues to have the backing of the board.

"We don't have any sense of nostalgia," Gazidis stated. "Our support for Arsene Wenger is not based on the history of what he's done for our football club, as extraordinary as that is.

"We're very focused on the future. This is one of our core values is that we're progressive and always moving forward. So what's happened in the past is far less relevant to us as what's happening as we look forward.

"And our support of Arsene has been strong, because we see someone who's devoted to the club, who's top class in the way he conducts himself, and in the way he has a positive vision for what football is and what it can be. Now, sometimes we get accused of being naive; I don't view that as naivety.

"I think winning football, and winning it with style and grace, are core values for Arsenal, and Arsene is somebody that we believe can deliver that."

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