Arsene Wenger has a message for the fans following his new contract.

• Wenger urges fans to come together and support the club
• He remains convinced Arsenal can step up to the next level
• Says he wants to strengthen the squad, but believes in methods

The manager signed a new contract today that will keep at the club until 2019.

Speaking to the official website, he had a message for the fans.

“The message to the fans is in aid of the club. Let’s be together to support our players, to support the club and all give our absolute best to be at the level that we want to be.”

Wenger has often called for unity during difficult times. While the sentiment is correct, his message has become more hollow the further the club has gotten from winning the league.

The fanbase has been divided over Wenger’s future for several years, and this latest contract is unlikely to bring them together.

Whatever the fans think, Wenger remains convinced that the team can move up to the next level.

“We can move up to the next level, I’m convinced of that, by having faith in the way we want to play football and by supporting the players we have already.”

He also said he wants to strengthen the squad:

“Of course we’ll try to strengthen our squad to be strong next season, but we want to be faithful to the way we want to play the game. We want to support this way [of playing] all together.”

Faith and continuity in what the club is doing seems to be the way forward for Wenger, and his words suggest there won’t be big changes on the playing front.