ranked Brazil and similarly struggled against three-times G

LONDON -- Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke signaled a desire to convince Arsene Wenger to stay on as manager by telling The Associated Press on Monday that the club remains very high on the Frenchman and he would be very hard to replace.Wenger this month celebrated 20 years in charge of Arsenal and has offered no indication whether he wants to sign a new deal, with his current contract running to the end of the seasonThe 67-year-old Frenchman became the Premier Leagues longest serving manager when Alex Ferguson retired from Manchester United in 2013. United is now on its third manager in three years and has not competed for the Premier League title since Fergusons departure.In a rare interview about Arsenal, Kroenke noted the tricky post-Ferguson succession at United while discussing the challenge of eventually replacing Wenger.You see it (at United), Kroenke told the AP after Arsenals annual general meeting. Its very hard. Hes a great manager.Wenger signed his last three-year contract extension in 2014.We will sit down and discuss the future at the appropriate time, Arsenal chairman Chips Keswick told shareholders at a meeting attended by Wenger.Although Wenger has won the Premier League three times, the last success came in 2004 -- a drought which frustrates fans.Hes been a wonderful influence on the club, Kroenke said. We are all very high on Arsene. We are (joint) top of the table right now.Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are only separated on goal difference at the summit. Despite Wenger only winning the FA Cup twice since the 2004-05 season, Arsenal is in the lucrative Champions League for the 19th successive year thanks to its runner-up finish last season. Wenger is yet to win European footballs top prize.I know a number of (sports team) owners that are very successful that say the same thing -- the hardest thing to do is be consistently competitive at the top of the league, said Kroenke, who also owns the NFLs Los Angeles Rams. Arsene has always done that and Arsenal has always been in that position. We have always been competitive.We may not always win the things we want to win. We are very focused on winning for sure the league. Arsenes been consistently at the top and I will tell you -- its very, very hard to do if you look around sports.Earlier, Wenger did not address his future in what could be his final speech to shareholders if he doesnt extend his Arsenal contract.I would like to apologize for every minute I made you suffer in these 20 years, Wenger quipped. But you dont look too bad for people who have suffered for 20 years.I am sorry for the boy who was born 20 years ago and has only known one manager. I would like to reassure him that when he is 40 he will know a few more.Wenger assured shareholders that Arsenal is in a much more competitive position to fight for the championship than five or six years ago.---Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports Wholesale Adidas NMD Sale . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Cheap Adidas Shoes . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. http://www.cheapnmd.us/ . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. NMD From China . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Clearance NMD Shoes Online . While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. The Australian mens basketball team look to have plenty of work to do if they are to secure a breakthrough Olympic Games medal after a 81-68 loss to Lithuania in Sao Paulo on Saturday.World No.3 Lithuania took control early and were never headed in the Boomers penultimate warm-up match before the Games.After an encouraging win against world No.4 Argentina, the Boomers had been given a 29-point lesson by No.9-ranked Brazil and similarly struggled against three-times Games bronze medallists Lithuania.Shooting from the field again proved the Boomers Achilles heel, the Australians at 40 per cent for the match.The evening seemed typified by a David Andersen airball as he shot unmarked for a three-pointer inside the final minute.Injured Andrew Bogut again watched on from the stands but Joe Ingles enjoyed some game time, having linked with the squad midweek after his wife gave birth to twins.ddddddddddddIngles top scored for Australia with 16 points from his 23 minutes, Aron Baynes adding 14 and Patty Mills 11.Lithuania were led by towering Toronto Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas (19 points) and Mantas Kalnietis (16 points).Unlike their fast start and slow finish in the disappointing loss to Brazil, the Boomers were very much behind the eight-ball early against Lithuania, falling behind 21-11 in the first quarter and 41-32 by halftime.From there the European powerhouses were never headed.The Boomers have one more match against China on Sunday before beginning their campaign against France on August 6. 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