Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen has urged supporters to get behind under-fire manager Arsene Wenger following their 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in their last 16 Champions League first leg on Wednesday.
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The Gunners were humbled by a clinical Bayern side at the Emirates on Tuesday in a 3-1 first leg defeat, with their hopes of UEFA Champions League progression now hanging by the slimmest of threads.
The Belgian was quick to empathise with the fans' frustrations, but believes that now is not the time to turn on their longest-serving manager.
Speaking to reporters on the Frenchman's job security, Vermaelen said:
"I am [shocked], but I know in football everybody thinks really short term and they don't look at the long term.
"[Wenger] has done a lot for this club, it's not going well at the moment but you have to stand behind him. You have to look at the long-term; he's the right man for this club and we're all behind him.
"He's done a lot for this club, he still does a lot of hard work for us. I think he's the right man for us, and we have to show that on the pitch as well. At the moment the results are not going for us - it's been quite difficult, but we will work hard with the boss to get the results back."
The cultured centre-back also pleaded with Arsenal supporters to keep faith with the team, claiming their backing is crucial as the club weather this 'difficult time'.
"[The fans] can't forget that we need them," he added. "We need their resolve because they belong to the team, they belong to the club. We have to stand behind each other because it's the only thing you can do," he said.
"Of course we're not happy, we have to look at ourselves and stick together in difficult times - it's the first thing we have to do.
"We can't blame each other. Don't look at each other, just stay as a team and work harder to get the results back. We hurt as players, we don't want to lose."
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