Arsene's preference is to remain at Arsenal

Beleaguered Wenger upbeat after quarterfinal romp over Lincoln

LONDON - Arsene Wenger revealed he hasn't ruled out extending his Arsenal reign after his side eased the pressure on the troubled boss with a 5-0 FA Cup quarterfinal win over unheralded Lincoln.

For weeks Wenger has faced calls for his resignation from angry Arsenal fans, and there were more protests against the beleaguered Frenchman before Saturday's clash at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners' comfortable progress to next month's Wembley semifinals kept the critics off Wenger's back, days after he was lambasted following last Tuesday's Champions League humiliation against Bayern Munich.

The Gunners boss, who has yet to confirm if he will extend his contract when it runs out at the end of this season, said his preference is to remain in charge of the Premier League club, but he declined to say how much longer that would be for.

"Let's not talk about me too much because that has happened a lot recently," he said.

"I have shown in my life that I try to serve this club with complete commitment and I will do that as long as I am here

"How long? I don't know at the moment. I have shown a lot of loyalty and my preference is here. I focus on my job. I always do that. I let other people judge my performances.

"People talk and talk and talk; that doesn't mean they talk the truth. We have to deal with that and perform on the pitch. We let people talk and show them what we are about.

"When I have a problem I try to just sort it out. I am competitive and always focused on solving the problems I face. Sometimes the size of the problem is bigger, but there are always problems."

Wenger said selecting a first choice lineup for Saturday's game gave his players back their belief after the Champions League trauma.

"We were a bit nervous today because confidence drops when you don't have a result. The team was unjustly criticized after our last game against Bayern," said the manager.

"I didn't want to gamble today. I knew it was very important to win and I wanted to give the team the chance to get their confidence back by winning the next game. That's why I retained 90 percent of the players.

"I am happy that we won the game but I know that what is in front of us is more important."

While Arsenal now looks forward to a Wembley FA Cup semifinal and striving to secure a Champions League berth for the 18th successive season, Lincoln's own tilt at glory did not evaporate with the loss.

Five points clear of its rivals at the top of the National League and seeking a return to after six seasons in the non-league wilderness, it faces the FA Trophy semifinal first leg on Tuesday night in the more austere surroundings of York City's Bootham Crescent ground.

For Lincoln manager Danny Cowley, the lessons learned at Arsenal will be invaluable.

"We have to take a lot from our first-half performance," he said.

"We restricted Arsenal to limited chances in the first 45 minutes and had a good one of our own. But in the second half you saw what world class players can do."

Agence France-Presse