LONDON // Arsene Wenger says Arsenal fans have been "brainwashed" by the constant negativity surrounding his team.
Wenger came under fire from large sections of the Emirates Stadium crowd following Arsenal's 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa on the opening day of the season.
That barrage of abuse followed several incidents of barracking from angry fans last season as Arsenal's trophy drought stretched to eight years.
But the Arsenal manager, whose side have calmed many critics with successive victories over Fenerbahce and Fulham since that Villa loss, is convinced the occasionally poisonous atmosphere in North London is due to fans letting their emotions get the better of them after reading so many negative stories about the club.
"It's always excessive reactions," Wenger said. "We lost one game since the beginning of March. That's why it [the Villa loss] was a shock. The defeat was a shock, because it's the first game of the season.
"We won in the Champions League away at Bayern [Munich, in March], we won 3-0 at Fenerbahce.
"It's just like that at the moment. You [the media] have brainwashed a little bit the Emirates. Maybe rightly so, because we haven't won trophies for years; everything is always negative.
"We have to live this out and just play football well."
The Frenchman has been in charge at Arsenal since October 1996 and is now the English top flight's longest-serving manager.
But Wenger believes society in general, and football in particular, has become more reactionary and less likely to show loyalty during difficult times.
"On one side, when people are not loyal, people criticise; when they are loyal, they say they are there for too long," he said. "It's always an excessive reaction and that's why people in charge have to take a [step back], more than ever.
"Being responsible in life is to do things you think are right, it's not to react to what people say."
Arsenal's return encounter against Fenerbahce is one of five Uefa Champions League second-leg matches tonight, with another five tomorrow.
The draw for the Champions League group stage is on Thursday.
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