LONDON--Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he will make a decision about his future based on a "a bigger picture" than the Gunners' recent results and rejected the notion that he has boxed himself into a corner by not signing a contract extension earlier.
Wenger has repeatedly insisted he will decide whether to stay on as manager toward the end of the season, but Arsenal's poor form over the last month has increased the number of fans who now want him to step down.
The Gunners are out of the Premier League title race and lost at Chelsea and Liverpool in recent games, while they need a miracle to overturn a 5-1 deficit to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday.
But Wenger, who has been in the job since 1996, insisted the current atmosphere surrounding the club will not be the only factor in his thinking.
"You do not make this kind of decision focusing on one result or two bad results," Wenger said. "You have to take a bigger picture and see, can you take this club to the next level, take yourself to the next level. Are you ready to pay the price for that?
"But as well this decision is not necessarily linked with two weeks out of 20 years. I don't feel I boxed myself in a corner."
At his news conference earlier on Monday, Wenger reiterated his stance that he needs to see how the Gunners finish the campaign before making up his mind.
"I haven't come to a decision yet. I'll wait a bit and see how the season finishes here," he said in fluent German. "I've been here for 20 years and think I've built the club up. It's important for me that we're always successful and that's why I've given myself a bit of time."
Wenger infuriated some fans further by dropping star striker Alexis Sanchez to the bench for Saturday's game at Anfield, which the Gunners lost 3-1.
However, he denied on Monday that the decision was based on a reported row between the two, and they shook hands at the start of the team's training session.
Wenger said the Chilean can show "excessive commitment" at times with his body language on the pitch, mimicking Sanchez's habit of throwing his hands up in the air when he's frustrated.
"It's always interpreted that he's not happy but it could be interpreted as well that he wants everyone to be with him. I think when it doesn't go well these things are interpreted negatively," Wenger said.
"You have to accept that a team is made up of 25 different personalities. So I don't want people to change. I just want them on board to achieve something together."