Thierry Henry has admitted the pressure is on to deliver silverware next season, but has told the critics to lay off Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal have suffered a difficult season in which they dropped out of the title race, lost in the Carling Cup final to Chelsea and were eliminated from the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.
The silver lining for The Gunners has been the emergence of a range of young stars, but Henry knows they must get results soon.
"If someone asks me how to describe this season, I would say we could have done better," he told The Sun. "I don't think anyone would argue the potential is certainly there within the team.
"Next season, we need to bring back some silverware. I think that is very important. We need to repay the fans, but we also need to repay Arsene, who has shown a lot of confidence in the team.
"It is generally a young side, but Arsene has shown great faith in the players.
"Hopefully now, the team can continue its improvement and compete with United and Chelsea next season. I am sure that will be the case."
He added that critics of Arsene Wenger should remember that he has assembled his side on a restricted budget.
"Everyone must keep faith with Arsene. Some people are having a go at him from outside the club, but it is very unfair.
"Whatever people are saying about him, he is still the main man. He has put together the current team at a fraction of the cost of what other managers have. That's something he should get great credit for."