Arsene Wenger admitted he may have made a mistake last season by allowing the debate over his future as Arsenal manager to get out of hand.

The Frenchman rarely faced a press conference in which his future was not a matter for debate as he prevaricated over whether to sign the two-year contract extension that had long been on the table.

Speculation over his intentions reached its peak as Arsenal endured their worst run of form of his reign between the end of January and early April, a run of five defeats in eight league games that left the Gunners with an irretrievable gap to the Champions League places.

Having insisted throughout the run that the debate over whether he would extend his expiring contract was irrelevant to Arsenal's performances Wenger said after a 3-1 win over Everton on the final day that doubts over his future had contributed to an "absolutely horrendous" psychological environment.

With a new two-year deal to his name Wenger is convinced that those problems will not be apparent in the coming months.

"For me it will be a change because [the question over my future] was a bit eternal, a repetition of the press conferences about that," Wenger said. "Maybe I made a mistake and allowed that to happen because I didn’t commit early enough.

"I think at some stage I did not think it would be a handicap for my commitment and it was not. But it was a bit of a handicap because it created a climate of insecurity and a lack of clarity about my person that maybe did not help at some stage.

"I believe everyone is focused on the new season and giving absolutely the best, so overall that is what we want as we go into it."

So disastrous was Arsenal's run of form in the early months of 2017 that chief executive Ivan Gazidis joked he had left three months off a video recapping the club's season at a supporters' meeting last month.

Arsenal on tour in Australia - In pictures 36 show all Arsenal on tour in Australia - In pictures 1/36 EPA 2/36 AFP/Getty Images 3/36 EPA 4/36 Getty Images 5/36 Getty Images 6/36 Getty Images 7/36 Getty Images 8/36 Getty Images 9/36 Getty Images 10/36 Getty Images 11/36 Reuters 12/36 Getty Images 13/36 Getty Images 14/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monreal of Arsenal launch the new Puma Arsenal 3rd kit on Fort Dennison Arsenal FC via Getty Images 15/36 Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil of Arsenal launch the new Puma Arsenal 3rd kit on Fort Dennison Arsenal FC via Getty Images 16/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal launches the new Puma Arsenal 3rd kit on Fort Dennison Arsenal FC via Getty Images 17/36 Laurent Koscielny wears the Arsenal 3rd kit for the 2017/2018 season as he stands in front of the Sydney Opera House REUTERS 18/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alex Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monrea wearingArsenal's 3rd kit for the 2017/2018 season in front of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in Sydney REUTERS 19/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Oezil and Nacho Monreal pose for a photo with children as they display the team's 3RD kit on Fort Denison in Sydney EPA 20/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Oezil and Nacho Monreal pose for a photo as they display the team's 3rd kit on Fort Denison in Sydney, Australia EPA 21/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alex Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monreal greet children as they arrive wearing Arsenal'S 3rd kit for the 2017/2018 season at the historical Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour, Australia REUTERS 22/36 Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette before a training session at the Korarah Ova Arsenal FC via Getty Images 23/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal before a training session at the Korarah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 24/36 Donyell Malen, Reiss Nelson, Alexandre Lacazette and Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 25/36 Alexandre Lacazette during a training session at the Korarah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 26/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 27/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 28/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 29/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 30/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 31/36 Alexandre Lacazette meets fans of his new club in Sydney Arsenal FC via Getty Images 32/36 Arsenal's Theo Walcott under the Sydney Harbour Bridge Arsenal FC via Getty Images 33/36 New South Wales Minister for Trade and Industry Niall Blair presents Arsenal football players Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and manager Arsene Wenger with a surf board in front of the Sydney Opera House AFP/Getty Images 34/36 The Arsenal squad walk under the Sydney Harbour Bridge Arsenal FC via Getty Images 35/36 Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Petr Cech pose in front of the Sydney Opera House during an Official Welcome to Sydney for Arsenal FC at Museum of Contemporary Art Getty Images 36/36 Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker of Arsenal, Wanderers coach Tony Popovic, Sydney FC Coach Graham Arnold, Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger, David Carney of Sydney FC, Robbie Cornthwaite and Oriol Riera of Western Sydney Wanderers and Andrew Redmayne of Sydney FC, pose in front of the Sydney Opera House Getty Images 1/36 EPA 2/36 AFP/Getty Images 3/36 EPA 4/36 Getty Images 5/36 Getty Images 6/36 Getty Images 7/36 Getty Images 8/36 Getty Images 9/36 Getty Images 10/36 Getty Images 11/36 Reuters 12/36 Getty Images 13/36 Getty Images 14/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monreal of Arsenal launch the new Puma Arsenal 3rd kit on Fort Dennison Arsenal FC via Getty Images 15/36 Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil of Arsenal launch the new Puma Arsenal 3rd kit on Fort Dennison Arsenal FC via Getty Images 16/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal launches the new Puma Arsenal 3rd kit on Fort Dennison Arsenal FC via Getty Images 17/36 Laurent Koscielny wears the Arsenal 3rd kit for the 2017/2018 season as he stands in front of the Sydney Opera House REUTERS 18/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alex Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monrea wearingArsenal's 3rd kit for the 2017/2018 season in front of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in Sydney REUTERS 19/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Oezil and Nacho Monreal pose for a photo with children as they display the team's 3RD kit on Fort Denison in Sydney EPA 20/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Oezil and Nacho Monreal pose for a photo as they display the team's 3rd kit on Fort Denison in Sydney, Australia EPA 21/36 Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Alex Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monreal greet children as they arrive wearing Arsenal'S 3rd kit for the 2017/2018 season at the historical Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour, Australia REUTERS 22/36 Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette before a training session at the Korarah Ova Arsenal FC via Getty Images 23/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal before a training session at the Korarah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 24/36 Donyell Malen, Reiss Nelson, Alexandre Lacazette and Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 25/36 Alexandre Lacazette during a training session at the Korarah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 26/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 27/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 28/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 29/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 30/36 Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at Koragah Oval Arsenal FC via Getty Images 31/36 Alexandre Lacazette meets fans of his new club in Sydney Arsenal FC via Getty Images 32/36 Arsenal's Theo Walcott under the Sydney Harbour Bridge Arsenal FC via Getty Images 33/36 New South Wales Minister for Trade and Industry Niall Blair presents Arsenal football players Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and manager Arsene Wenger with a surf board in front of the Sydney Opera House AFP/Getty Images 34/36 The Arsenal squad walk under the Sydney Harbour Bridge Arsenal FC via Getty Images 35/36 Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Petr Cech pose in front of the Sydney Opera House during an Official Welcome to Sydney for Arsenal FC at Museum of Contemporary Art Getty Images 36/36 Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker of Arsenal, Wanderers coach Tony Popovic, Sydney FC Coach Graham Arnold, Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger, David Carney of Sydney FC, Robbie Cornthwaite and Oriol Riera of Western Sydney Wanderers and Andrew Redmayne of Sydney FC, pose in front of the Sydney Opera House Getty Images

Arsenal turned it around in the final weeks of the campaign and though it was not enough to secure a top four finish they did spoil Chelsea's Double dreams with a win in the FA Cup Final.

Wenger added: "We basically had three seasons last year: the first part was very positive, the second part was very negative, and the third part was very positive.

"I believe it is important that we analyse well what happened to us, and where we can improve - and then transfer the optimistic final part of the season into the new campaign and start in a very strong way."