2012 - Arsenal Predictions

This is not an astrologer blogging about celestial stars impact on Arsenal but an Arsenal blogger writing about how football superstars might affect Arsenal.

The best thing that could have happened for Arsenal was Thierry Henry coming back(be it on loan or for good) or you think something better is yet to come. Let's have a close look at Arsenal first team and try to analyse what would probably happen to them.

1. Manuel Almunia
Might probably find some other club that might be interested in him since Arsenal don't seem to have much to offer.

13. Wojciech Sczcesny
Will continue to be Arsenal's No.1 choice goalkeeper and might get injured for some time due to fatigue the way he is hoarding the first team spot.

21. Lukasz Fabianski
Already showed his happiness to be second in choice both at national and club level. So will continue to deputize Sczcesny and could get better if he get's enough chances.

24. Vito Mannone
Mannone shared his interest to continue permanently in Hull City to Nick Barmby and would be heading his way for once and all to K.C since he knows very well in Arsenal he won't get much chances since we already have two people ahead of him.

3. Bacary Sagna
Once back from injury will keep the right back place for himself with hardly any threat from Jenkinson who would play second in choice for atleast the whole of 2012.

4. Per Mertesacker
Will get better as the season progress and would soon be one of the best three defenders to play for Arsenal in 2012. He still needs time to improve on understanding the English side of the game.

5. Thomas Vermaelen
Verminator would be soon back to his best but will be getting less playing time considering his first season at Arsenal due to the emergence of superstar defender in Koscielny.

6. Laurent Koscielny
Possibly the best of the central defenders we have considering current form. If he continues this form, he would soon be playing for France and also playing in almost all matches for Arsenal. Unlike last season, he had been more consistent and smart with his decision making.

11. Andre Santos
Looks like a greater threat going forward and seemed to be less comfortable in defence. Both our left backs Gibbs and Santos would make good left midfielders rather than left backs. Will play most of the time looking at Gibbs injury history.

18. Sebastian Squillaci
Squillaci was an assured performer during his early days in club football. He no more looks that lethal and could be on his way back to Spanish or French league in Summer or Winter whenever he would get a chance due to lack of first team football. Looks like another Silvestre in making for Arsenal.

20. Johan Djourou
Showed good promise last season but had been highly erratic this season and more injury prone due to playing out of position on right back which demands greater stamina and more fatigue.

25. Carl Jenkinson
Should be a good season for him with limited chances but will soon be first choice once Sagna get to 30+ when Wenger would try to sell him off as seen in past with other players.

28. Kieren Gibbs
If he spends more time on pitch than the hospitals then only we could see more of this wonderful promising player. Hope this year is an injury free one for him to show to the world how good he is. But not sure how lucky he would get this year.

2. Abou Diaby
One of the best Arsenal has in midfield as per Arsenal insiders but again another injury prone player. Not sure what causes so much problem to him that he could never play a whole season without any injury. Looks damn fit and macho but muscles seems to be his enemy. Should be back later in the season and will have to fight to get a first team chance considering the packed midfield we have now.

7. Tomas Rosicky
Nick named the Little Mozart, he needs more playing time and surely first team starts to completely gain his confidence back. I believe he might look for more opportunities elsewhere looking at the midfield players who will be back from injury soon.

8. Mikel Arteta
Arteta seems to be the best buy Wenger did in near past. There are very few who could actually come into a pacy Arsenal team and gel so well. Arteta looks to be a mainstay in first team with his performances and experience. Coming back of Wilshere could show Wenger's true plans. Hope Arteta keeps gettting his chances as long as he is doing good.

16. Aaron Ramsey
Promising young player who could one day fit into Fabregas's shoes but certainly not this year. He seems to be improving but highly erratic. He needs more time on the pitch and will soon be a world beater. Seems to be more forward minded and less of a helping hand when it comes to defence. Needs to improve on that this season along with his creative side.

17. Alex Song
Lucky for Arsenal that Cameroon didn't qualify for the African Nation's Cup that they have Song still with them. Had been the pick of the midfield players and shown the world he can be as good as offence as his defensive game he with his sudden surges and even the assist to Henry this week. He will continue to dominate the English football and would soon get an offer from Manchester City or Real Madrid if he continues this way.

19. Jack Wilshere
Expecting to be back later this month. Wilshere would add few good weapons to Arsenal's armoury. Wilshere is considered as one of the best talent in English football and he justifies it whenever he had played before injury. This year will cause his some challenges to get back and settle in the team since with tough competitions from the bunch we have. Probably Wilshere would soon start playing in an attacking midfield role rather than the holding one or ball keeper which he had done earlier which will allow Wenger to switch better between Wilshere/Arteta/Ramsey/Diaby/Rosicky/Benayoun and anyone else for that matter including Alex Song.

23. Andrey Arshavin
Master of great passes and pace, could not provide justice to his own name. If I am only to look at the game in 2012, he is doing well except for his finishing but would probably try to get back to Russia and be more comfortable playing there. The team had added more pressure and seems to be a guy who doesn't like competition for his place which is killing his game. In a club like Arsenal, it is not easy to play without competition for your place.

26. Emmanuel Frimpong
Now at loan in Wolves, he would actually need another whole season to reach next level of the game. He is good at playing a holding role but creativity is something he needs to work on. Loves to watch him play because of his fighting spirit but there are lot of other aspects to the game which he would get chance to improve with playing time from Wolves. Will not be a first team threat at least end of 2012. But in 2013 he could be another Alex Song for Arsenal.

30. Yossi Benayoun
Had already scored few important wonderful goals for Arsenal. Yossi thinks Wenger would try to keep him but my guess would be otherwise. Wenger had bought him since Diaby and Wilshere was out injured and Rosicky had been erratic. Once they are all back Wenger would think of thanking him and trying to find a young attacking midfielder.

39. Francis Coquelin
A ball winner and truly a high quality player. But he requires more playing time and seems to be injury hit. Another loan spell would probably do him good and could be in starting XI maybe from 2014 season. He has shown great quality and determination in every game he had played. Coquelin also needs to build few muscles too. He seems to be an utility player the way Wenger is using him and it is always nice to have utility player's in your side since they have higher chance of getting more playing time considering Arsenal player's injury history.

9. Ju-Young Park
Park had been good any time we saw him on the pitch but not sure why Wenger is keeping him ashore saying he needs time. Don't understand what is that park lacks? He is a good buy for any team and would have been good to try to play him with Van Persie upfront as support striker. If he doesn't get enough playing time by end of this season, I think he might probably move away from Arsenal.

10. Robin Van Persie
His form worries Arsenal fans more than opponents since any player who gets to this kind of form would soon be snatched by Real Madrid or Manchester City. Hope they don't woo Robin. Contract talks still needs to be closed and in case it is more delayed it would leave Wenger with no option other than to encash him. Pick of Arsenal players last year. Seems to grown up as a finisher but pressure seems to catch him if you had watched last two matches of 2011 when he had to score 3-4 goals to equal or beat Shearer. Everything said he is the best Arsenal had got now.

12. Thierry Henry
King Henry is no more a legend, he is a living human back at Emirates.

14. Theo Walcott
Walcott had wonderful season so far looking at his assists that had been converted to goal. Still requires to be a better crosser of the ball after all these years of hardwork. Got a lot to improve in his finishing and ball playing abilities. Wonderful to watch and a pleasure to play with, some teams would soon come asking for his signature. Would probably continue with Arsenal for another couple of years if the very high pay he had asked for gets materialized with Arsenal otherwise we would soon witness another farewell party.

15. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Ox the way people call him had been a revelation in 2011 season and more to come in 2012. He would soon get some playing time if he Walcott moves out or get injured maybe. But being a Arsenal fan I don't want that to happen. I would love to watch Walcott on right and Oxlade-Chamberlain on left wing feeding Van-Persie upfront. It would be a dream to watch if at all it get's real. In case Walcott stays, Wenger might opt to loan out him for 6months timeframe to give him more playing time, preferably in Premier League itself.

27. Gervinho
Gervinho had been very good at dribbling and passing his markers but looked confused and erratic few times before the goal. Needs more time as a striker than a winger or more confidence needs to be induced. He shows promise and will have a good Arsenal future for sure irrespective of Van Persie staying or moving. Gervinho would probably end up playing loan striker for some time later this year.

29. Marouane Chamakh
Chamakh had a great first season but second season is really hitting him hard. He is lacking confidence to shoot for which he was brought to Arsenal. If he continues in this way, he would soon be moving out of Arsenal. If he is at his best, one of the most deadliest players we might have had and an aerial threat. Right now, he requires more time and show some interest to be part of the squad. Hope the African cup opens up well for Morrocco and he do well. This might help him to open up his goal scoring abilities again.

31. Ryo Miyaichi
Ryo had been compared with Walcott for him pace but we had seen less of him on the picth. Would soon shift as a substitute player later this year. Such speedsters are often threatened by the injury it brings to them. Should be more careful not to get injured and would be a good prospect for Arsenal.

11. Carlos Vela
Not sure why not Wenger try selling him if he really don't have any plans for Vela. Vela had been Arsenal player for some time but always on loan. He might as well decide to part company if he doesn't get any chance in Arsenal side. Current forward lineup doesn't seem to provide any come back space for him too.

46. Henri Lansbury
Lansbury is a wonderful player to watch and would be one of the best in coming years. Arsenal would probably want to keep him and give him with more first team chance if at all Arsenal is to lose some of their first team midfielders. Lansbury could have a good season out on loan and by 2013 we might see more of him in Arsenal shirt.

52. Nicklas Bendtner
Bendtner always thought himself as a world beater. He is good at scoring crucial goals but very bad finisher when it gets to easy goal scoring chances. He enjoys scoring tough goals only maybe. Looks like he will be sold to Sunderland in summer since he already shared he don't want to come back to Arsenal.