Monday 7 August 2017 12:26, UK
Arsene Wenger has admitted delaying a decision on his Arsenal future may have had a negative impact on the team.
The 67-year-old waited until the end of May to announce his new two-year deal at the club, following Arsenal's fifth-placed finish in the Premier League and FA Cup victory.
Key players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are still yet to commit to the Gunners beyond their current deals, which expire in the next 12 months, and Wenger conceded the uncertainty surrounding his own situation may have eked into the dressing room.
"It's down to us to put a positive atmosphere around the team," Wenger, who is nearing his 21st anniversary as boss, said after Arsenal's Community Shield win over Premier League champions Chelsea.
"A lot was created by my own situation. Maybe I made a mistake."
Arsenal begin the new league campaign against Leicester City on Friday, live on Sky Sports, and Wenger insists the club must not repeat their slow starts to previous seasons.
"Overall I believe that it's down to us," he added. "The trend has always to come from the team. We had some bad starts recently, the last four years, in the first game of the Premier League.
"But we had the intensity in the games in our preparation that is needed to be ready."
