The Swiss camp is saying Djourou could miss only a few weeks, but Arsenal are disputing the claim:

Arsenal dispute Djourou diagnosis - ESPN Soccernet


:gtfo2: :p

It's been a rough two weeks.

PS: Don't forget Red.

Phelan, have you heard any stories on Miyaichi since the earthquake (ie was his family, etc affected)?

Haven't heard a thing. But his hometown is in Aichi, well away from the impact area, so they should be fine. I think.

Did some digging:

Ryo Miyaichi sends a message to Japan | News Archive | News | Arsenal.com

was just about to post that, they must have released that article within the last hour.

http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files...jpg?ic=821948T

btw he looks like an asian arshavin hahaha

i'm so looking forward to seeing this kid at the emirates soon!

Big Round of 16 clashes today. United need a result tonight. As much as I would like to see Marseille bump United and advance, I don't think it will happen.

Almost time for the Quarterfinals, where things REALLY get interesting. :tup:

Is anybody watching this game?!?!??????? Inter just c*nt punted Bayern out of the Champions League, AMAZING game to watch!

Watched both matches yesterday, & both teams for whom I was cheering lost.

Lame.

C'mon, Lyon... (or given yesterday, "c'mon Madrid?).

Same. I really wanted Bayern to win. There are a lot of German internationals on that team that I like a lot. Sad to see the team carry an advantage into the match to lose it all, but full credit to Inter to be able to dig in and win on the road. Any team is going to have their hands full with Inter again this season. They knocked us out of the Quarterfinals last season, and I'm not looking forward to history repeating itself.

I want German teams to do well-- they're so much fun to watch. I love the kamikaze attitude of the good Bundesliga teams that's counter to what you think of German football.

It's like watching the Phoenix Suns under Mike Dantoni.

I wanted Bayern to go through as well, but admit it, Inter absolutely crapped on them in the 2nd half.

I really want to see Borussia Dortmund next year...provided they don't completely dismantle the team after this season!

BTW - Jon, thoughts on today's game? Yes, Chelsea did not need to score, but seriously? I just about fell asleep watching...

this thread turned into an Arsenal thread.....literally, so why would i be posting "sooo much in here". big whoop!

Same here. I love watching Dortmund play, they remind you Germany's version of Arsenal under Jürgen Klopp, but rumors have been swirling about him moving to Bayern after Louis van Gaal. I hope the team stays together also, but the key Dortmunders like Sahin, Götze, Großkreutz, and Kagawa have attracted the attention of some of the bigger clubs in Europe, and they might be signed else where during the summer. I hope it doesn't happen, because they would be fantastic to watch in the Champions league next year.


So did we. Most of the noise at Stamford Bridge wasn't coming from the shed end, it was coming from the traveling Copenhagen supporters. I thought we definitely took the foot off the accelerator some, but not entirely. We still pushed forward in search of goals, and probably SHOULD have scored twice had Zhirkov not put his shots wide. When Torres came on for the final 20 minutes, he looked pretty sharp, which is encouraging considering he has yet to hit the net in a Chelsea shirt.

For the most part, there were some really bright moments in the game, but bright moments won't get us to the final. We cannot afford to miss opportunities like the one we had last night against some of the real giants like Madrid, Inter and United. And speaking of United, it would be fantastic if we could save a United fixture til the final. Only reason I say that is because I want a rematch of the 2008 season. One penalty. ONE penalty in Russia was the difference between the clip of Rooney lifting the trophy during the CL opening theme and John Terry lifting the trophy. I almost cried that night. The one trophy that has eluded us forever has been the champions league, and most Chelsea supporters want this more than anything. It would also make for a great atmosphere with an all England final at Wembley.

The draw is tomorrow! I would hate to draw Inter again; they knocked us out of the Quarterfinals last year. A Spurs/Inter rematch would be exciting to watch, and I think it's safe to say everyone is hoping for an El Clasico matchup between Barca and Madrid.

So start contributing & maybe the thread would include more than the three of us who are Arsenal fans.

Jon posts about Chelsea & things stay civil.

Man I really hope someone in Dortmund goes "Hey we have a huge chance next year let's keep this team together for a run in Europe". And I will be very, VERY disappointed if Sahin does not get player of the year in the Bundesliga. Can't wait for Kagawa to return in April.

Nope! I actually want Inter to see Barca again. That would be fun IMO. Can Inter knock Barca out again without Jose MourPARKTHEBUSinho?? I think they can! Eto'o shows up 100% of the time in big games, and Sneijder looks as close to healthy and hungry as he has all season.

What's the worst draw you can think of for Chelsea? I think actually Inter isn't the worst draw in the world for you guys. Real Madrid might be the scariest just because it's been Mourinho-d haha!

I've gotten so much flak from Spuds supporters about how they're still in the CL and we aren't...but WE GOT LEHMANN BACK WAHAHAHAHAHAH

Time for some comedy :tup:

Sahin's been outstanding for Dortmund all season. It's going to be hard for Dortmund to hold on to him.



Real Madrid have shown signs of vulnerability at times, on our day we know we can beat United/Spurs, Schalke's defense is shaky at best, and Shaktar are, well, Shaktar. I'd think the worst draw(s) would be either Inter or Barcelona to be honest. History has taught us English clubs don't fare well against Barca(See CL final vs. Arsenal in 07 or vs. United in 09). With Barca, you have to dictate the tempo for the entire 90 minutes. If you let Barca control the pace, and you lose your shape, they will cut you open, every time. We saw it last season Mourinho's Inter; actually focused on keeping their players in position, keeping their shape, and not allowing Barca to lull them to sleep, draw players out, then kill you with the final critical ball to Messi. With that being said, do we have a midfield/defense who have the discipline to do this? I can't answer this question definitively yes or no, which is what scares me. With Inter, I've watched this current team play for a long time, and everyone has witnessed what they can do. First under Mourinho, and now Leonardo, they are still one of the most dangerous teams in the whole competition. Sammy Eto'o, Sneijder, Cambiasso, and let's not forget Zanetti, Maicon AND last year's hero, Diego Milito. This team if brimming with talent, and after going 2-0 down on aggregate to beat Bayern at home, I wouldn't want to play them.

Either way, CL is as hard to predict as the World Cup, I'm just along for the ride. I hope we can make it far in the competition.

Mueller needs to be in an Arsenal shirt. And let me just say, Barca were idiots to let Etoo go.

The situation was handled poorly. I don't know if it's a pride thing, or if it is something else, but Barcelona rarely have any players of non-Latin descent become the face of the club. Excluding Johan Cruyff of course. Has anyone else noticed this? Most recent casualties including Ibrahimovic, Henry, and most notably, Eto'o. The man is a menace who can play with his back to goal; what club in their right mind would let him go? He's not Leo Messi, but I think he's more prolific in front of goal than Bojan or Pedro, who both happen to be Spaniards. Coincidence?

Even Leo, though, all the Barca supports are falling over themselves to claim he has Catalan-DNA, not Newell's Old Boys DNA or something Argentinian haha. Love their double standard.

Red, cow - our rear guard now consists of Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy, and Almunia. Please tell me I'm not the only one frightened.

Product of the youth system, yes. Is he from Catalonia? No. Is he even Iberian? No. Born and bred South American. But still Latin, so I guess to Barcelona, that's close enough. Close enough compared to Eto'o, who is African, or Ibrahimovic, who is from Northern Europe. Another reason why I'm such a big fan of Eto'o. Not only is he an outstanding player, he continues to play at word class levels despite being a target for of the some of the racism and bigotry that still plagues professional football. I applaud him for staying in Italy after the abuse he took during the Inter/Cagliari match earlier this season. He even had racial taunts slung at him while he was in Spain! Much respect for someone able to play through all of that.

off topic from what we were discussing, but it struck me that in about two years Arsenal can be a really, REALLY scary team, even without fabregas, and without big signings.

szczesny

sagna - koscielny - vermaelen - gibbs

song - wilshere - ramsey

walcott - van persie - nasri

bench: henderson, miyaichi, miquel, djourou, bartley, fabianski, JET

still will be a bit thin on the DM role, but good lord if the academy prospects work out...watch out!

agreed :tiphat:

but you also have to consider about 40% of them will be injured at any given time

unfortunately true :shakes head:

Yeah, finishing the rest of the season with our current defensive lineup without a loss and a few draws is nothing but a pipe dream. :(

Champions League Quarter-Final Draw:

Real Madrid CF (ESP) v Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)

Chelsea FC (ENG) v Manchester United FC (ENG)

FC Barcelona (ESP) v FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) v FC Schalke 04 (GER)


Looking forward to the Madrid/Spurs fixture, but I am actually happy we drew United. This is the team we are most familiar with, and I think we match up really well. Barcelona and Inter are as good as through to the Semi Finals, ha.


Speaking of which,

Semi-Final Scenario 1 - Inter/Schalke v Chelsea /Manchester United
Semi-Final Scenario 2 - Real Madrid/Tottenham v Barcelona/Shakhtar

This is fantastic:



OFF THE BALL: Gattuso dances with ref, Spurs go space-age - ESPN Soccernet

:wtf2:

:eekdance:

what the fvck?:ugh2:

so who is going to be paired with koscielny now that djouru (sp) is gone? I was really hoping all along that vermaelen would make a miraculous return, but now that he is officially done we might be screwed :shakes head:

lol... I think its time Arsene goes out and buys a quality center half

Given the draw...I expect:

Semi-Final 1: Inter v. Manchester United (sorry John, I want the blues, but don't think they have the cajones to punt ManU out of the competition)

Semi-Final 2: Tottenham v Barcelona. Yes, Tottenham. Because as someone somewhere put it...Arsenal's season can't possibly get any worse.

Final: Inter v. Barcelona

Winner: Barcelona


If every Gunners' nightmare were to come through, though, Tottenham will win the UCL, and we'll be serenaded by "are you watching arsenal" until we get another trophy forever

don't call 'em squilscielny for nothing!

Problem is Arsene is delusional and thinks he has quality center halves. And the thing is, he does. He just keeps forgetting they're all out injured.

Idk dude bat is right though. I posted a lot here but don't bother since all you guys do is talk about Arsenal

Blackpool got robbed at the death. I feel bad for them, I want to see them next year in the EPL. Ian Holloway gives some of the best interviews.

Reporter: Do you have any injury worries today?
Ian: No, I'm fully fit thank you.


LOL!

Ha, even when they played in the Championship, I loved Ian Holloway's antics.


MASSIVE result for Chelsea on Sunday against City. David Luiz has assimilated brilliantly to the English game, and has already won over the hearts of Chelsea supporters. Ramires finally showed us why we spent the money to sign him from Benfica. Two goals from two Brazilians and 3 massive points. I still think the title might be too far out of reach, but it's still a huge lift for us to secure a spot in the Champions League next year. It also helps that Tottenham and Arsenal both drew this weekend.


Anyone else looking forward to Milan vs. Inter this weekend? I'm hoping for an epic Milan derby; winner takes the lead of Serie A.

Sideshow Bob! Sideshow Bob!!! Notice who the cross came from though? Drogba. Not Torres, Didier Drogba. I still can't recognize the Blues side until he comes onto the pitch, then it's more like the team I know and hate :stirthepot:

However, I just about gasped after Ramires' goal. What. A. Goal. Absolutely SHREDDED the Citizen's bi-partizan (lulz) defense. Joe Hart could do nothing with that!

Anybody watch Stoke absolutely sh*t on Newcastle? STOKE?!?!?!????? WTF???????


(conveniently ignoring the fact that we got 1 pt from 6 against the baggies :facepalm:)

Ha, there is some similarity between Sideshow Bob and Luiz, but he's won our hearts already. Did you hear the chants of 'LUIZ! LUIZ! LUIZ!' ringing out at the bridge? He'll have signs made for him at the next home game, you watch. His compatriot's goal was the icing on the cake. As soon as he broke into the penalty area and put the ball past Hart, the bar went BESERK! I felt bad for Joe Hart; he did his best to make himself big, but the finish was clinical.

Torres is still struggling to find his feet with us, but he's looking sharper. Hopefully he can recapture that form we know he's capable of. I don't think I'd call the transfer a flop just yet, but he does need to find the back of the net sooner than later.


And I'm sure Arsenal fans hate the scourge that is Didier Drogba. I think in the past 3 or 4 seasons, every time our teams met, he's scored for us. Arsenal now within 5! :stirthepot:

^ he's looked sharper? come on jon, admit it, your defender has put in more goals than your not-quite-50mil. rated striker :stirthepot:

let's face it, torres looks out of sorts. drogba is the one that can make that offense click. el nino is just that - a boy amongst the men.

and drogba doesn't scare us anymore. do we need to remind you of that 3-1 drubbing we just pasted you with? :stirthepot:

i'm more scared of our own goalkeeper...:crying:

another inspired signing: Demba Ba for WHU. he has his shooting boots on, combined with scott parker's "churchill"-esque leadership, i've actually got money they stay up this year


NAPOLI IS WITHIN 3 PTS OF AC MILAN OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMAOSMGOMGKMAKMB

Ok, sharper, but definitely not in the same stratosphere as his 08 season with Liverpool. I admit, 50 mil is steep for a striker who has been declining. Initially, rumors were flying about the transfer of Andy Carroll to Chelsea, and honestly, I would have been OK with that.

And you're right, Arsenal had our number at the end of the year last year. We were afraid to play you at that time during our slump, and it showed. Full credit to Arsenal for cleaning up to sink us even further down the table.

Scotty Parker has the heart of a lion, and should be rewarded with Footballer of the Year should West Ham avoid the drop this season. He is a fantastic player who doesn't get the credit he deserves really. Its unfortunate players like Parker, Charlie Adam or even Kevin Davies don't get the recognition they deserve because they play at smaller clubs. I would say either Nasri or Parker should be awarded Footballer of the Year for their respective clubs.

Serie A looks like it should be an exciting finish to the season. Only 3 points separate the top 3 clubs, closely followed by what, UDINESE?? So will you be part of the blue or red half of Milan for the derby coming up?

Blue, just because I hate Zlatan, he's like equivalent of a 20/10 basketballer who never won the NBA Championship :roflpuke2: (except I like Steve Nash MUCH more than Zlatan Ibrafailovic)

Honestly, I barely watch Serie A, only Napoli and Fiorentina when they're on (dunno why I follow Fiorentina though!). I try to watch more Bundesliga, Dortmund has the league in their hands but they need to watch out, they only have 4 pts on 2nd place...Leverkeusen...and Munich in 4th WTF?!

I will be a touch annoyed if Nasri doesn't get the Footballer of the Year award honestly, he kept Arsenal afloat and is still capable of doing so (although RvP lately has been PISSED OFF and is dragging Arsenal to the finish line all by himself). He was mesmerizing before his injury, I hope he picks up form in this title run-in or else the award's gone, and all that first-half effort would be for naught.

Quick Arsenal thought - If Ramsey were fully fit we would've won Saturday's game 3-2. But nope, he's still rusty and shot his best chance straight at the keeper. THANKS RYAN SHAWC*NT.

But I cannot agree more. Charlie Adam has been an absolute BEAST for the Tangerines. Too bad his excellent form means he won't be in an orange shirt next season. I don't see Holloway replacing Charlie with anybody, really. Once he leaves, Blackpool will sink into the Championship again. If they aren't relegated by the end of this season, that is.


(see blue? SEE??!?!? even for me there's more to soccer than just my beloved Gunners :tup:)

Haha nice. I can't say if I'm for or against either side, but I am partial to Inter because I like Sammy Eto'o, Sneijder and their Manager Leonardo. In Serie A I always liked Roma and Catania for some reason. I think the first Serie A game I ever saw was a Roma match, and I was floored by passion of the supporters. The flares, the massive flags, the jumping, the entire atmosphere at the match was amazing. And Sicilian supporters are absolutely mental.

I watch a lot of Bundesliga too, although my favorite club, St.Pauli, spend the majority of their time in the bottom half of the table. Dortmund's lead at the top has been cut significantly over the past month. Leverkusen look threatening. One of my favorite internationals Stefan Keißling plays for Leverkusen. Rumor has it Jürgen Klopp will be leaving Dortmund next season for the soon to be vacated Bayern job. I think the Bundesliga only have 3 Champions league spots next season, which would mean as it stands the mighty Bayern would be playing in Europa next year!