Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said that he "hates" himself more than any of his critics do when his side loses.
Wenger has come in for plenty of criticism this season, with Sunday's 2-0 loss to Tottenham -- which ensured Arsenal will finish below their rivals in the Premier League for the first time since 1995 -- only renewing calls from fans for him to step down at the end of the campaign, when his contract expires.
However, Wenger told Norway's TV2 that he can distance himself from the flurry of criticism he faces from Arsenal supporters these days, and insisted that he is his own harshest judge.
"I am like everybody -- I prefer to be loved than hated but I can take a distance with that," Wenger said in an interview recorded before the North London derby defeat.
"I know as well it is not the person itself, it is the fact the manager does not win the games. They want to win and I can make a difference in that.
"I don't take it too personally. In fact, I personally hate myself -- the manager -- more than anybody when I don't win the games. I am a very bad loser.''
While Arsenal's lack of a Premier League and Champions League challenge once again this season have left fans frustrated, the club still have a chance to win the FA Cup when they face Chelsea in the final later this month.
And Wenger defended his recent record, despite Arsenal's title drought dating back to 2004 and with the club having been knocked out at the round-of-16 stage in the Champions League for seven consecutive seasons.
"If you don't win the championship, the FA Cup, the Champions League, it is absolutely disastrous," Wenger said. "But if you look back in the last three years, we won the FA Cup twice and finished second, third and fourth [in the league]. We are in the FA Cup final again.
"Overall, I believe we are not happy because you want to win absolutely everything. But you have to accept as well that Real Madrid has not won their championship for five years. They are big clubs -- it is difficult. Liverpool hasn't won it for over 20. Just because you turn up doesn't mean you win. It is difficult to win.''