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The Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, has rounded on his critics defending his record as a manager. Photograph: Philip Brown/Reuters

A defiant Arsène Wenger rounded on his critics after another shaky performance from his Arsenal side brought a 3-1 win over Shrewsbury Town in the Carling Cup third round. The Frenchman brushed off speculation regarding his position hours after the club's chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, said the manager had the "total support" of the board and promised to make significant funds available in January's transfer window.
Questions have been raised over Wenger's future following Arsenal's worst start to a league campaign in more than half a century. They were shambolic in losing 8-2 at Manchester United and endured a 4-3 defeat at Blackburn Rovers last Saturday. Many fans have queried Wenger's transfer policy and his tactical acumen and wondered whether it is time to replace the manager.
Asked whether the speculation was unfair given his record Wenger said: "My record? I have just managed 14 years at this club [actually 15] and I have kept them 14 years in the Champions League and I wish it lasts another 14 years."
Wenger has ruled out bringing in a senior former defender such as Tony Adams or Martin Keown to shore up the defence. He bluntly dismissed the need after his much-changed team, who did not convince defensively throughout, had come from a goal down to beat their League Two opponents: "I've just completed 32 years of coaching – I don't want to answer this kind of question."
Gazidis had been just as straightforward in spelling out that there is no prospect of the manager leaving any time soon. He declared that the board remains adamant Wenger is the best person to drive the club forward and said it would be "completely misguided" to think otherwise.
"There is absolutely no issue about Arsène leaving the club or the club pushing him out – that is a non-story," said Gazidis. "It's not a sentimental decision, it's what we think is right for the club. We've got the manager who has done the thing that's most difficult in the game, which is to deliver success consistently over time.
"If we step back and look with some perspective at what Arsène and the club have achieved together, we see that this has been a journey in which the club has transformed itself, not just in terms of the stadium and its financial strength, but also in terms of the way in which it is perceived around the world because of the type of football we play. You don't throw something like that away easily, or if you do, you're a fool."
Gazidis defended the club's handling of the sales of Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri in the final days of the transfer window, admitting that "ideally those situations would have been resolved earlier" but it was not possible. He said the subsequent purchases of Mikel Arteta, Yossi Benayoun and Per Mertesacker did not mean the club were abandoning their policy of prioritising young players and he hinted that there could be further major signings in the next two transfer windows.
"We deliberately kept some powder dry [in the summer] … there are funds available to invest in a significant way in January and next summer. But we're not just going to spend money because we're under short-term pressure."
When it was put to Wenger that it was unprecedented for him to receive a vote of confidence he said: "Whether I work here for the next ten years for the club or the next day I will give my maximum for the club let others assess the situation. I focus on doing well for the club. And I must tell you something: I'm not bothered at all by all this speculation – at all.
"I am completely focused on doing well. I can understand that people are unhappy and criticise but you know as well as I know people are very quick to go overboard.
"I accept critics and I do not say it doesn't matter that people criticise us. I prefer it like anybody else when they say I am good. But you cannot complain when you lose a game and you are criticised.
"When we do well we take all the plaudits so we have to take as well all the blame when it doesn't go as well. But we have as well on both sides take some distance. When it goes well we must not completely believe what people say and when it does not go as well, we must not completely believe it."