Arsenal FC: 10 Bold Predictions for the Gunners' 2011-12 Season

Arsenal fans know that last season ended in disaster. In order to rise above the Gunners' perpetual mediocrity, changes and improvements must come from within the club and from outside of it.

While preseason has only just begun, there have already been some subtle indications of where the club is going in the future and which players are ready to make their leaps from good to great.

There is always constant speculation surrounding a big club like Arsenal, especially during the summer transfer window. However, from all this murky muck, we can attempt to surmise and speculate about the doings behind the scenes at the club and make predictions about what changes will be made and which players will rise and which will fall.

So, I present 10 bold predictions for the upcoming season that could define Arsene Wenger's managerial tenure at Arsenal and make or break the club this year. You may be surprised by some, but then again, crazy things seem to happen at the Emirates every year.

Enjoy.

Kieran Gibbs Will Step Up

Following the departure of Gael Clichy, the majority of Arsenal supporters assumed that we really needed a replacement and one was bound to come. After all, Wenger cannot possibly think that the oft-injured Kieran Gibbs is ready to assume the role of starting left-back, right? Right?

Wrong.

But don't fret, Arsenal fans. It's not as bad as it seems. In fact, I think that Kieran Gibbs will rise up and let us forget Gael fairly quickly. If you look at Arsenal's last two left-backs—Clichy and Ashley Cole—both had Gibbs' issues when they were promoted to the first team.

Surprised? Exactly, you don't remember that. And being thrown into the fire can rapidly advance the development of a talented player; just ask Jack Wilshere. So I take the optimistic route on Kieran: He'll hit it big at left-back for us.

Gervinho Will Become a Fan Favorite

Aside from a center-back, most Arsenal fans would have agreed that a consistent goal scorer was the primary need for the Gunners in the transfer market. Luckily, they got a good one in Gervinho.

Gervinho's attacking mentality and tendency to cut in from the wings, coupled with his eagerness to shoot will greatly endear him to supporters who could not bear players getting in good positions and trying to pass the ball into the net. Such frustration can drive people insane, and it nearly did.

That's why the Ivorian will be so appreciated. The dose of attacking flair, creativity and the single-minded goal-scoring mentality that Arsenal lacked last season has now arrived in the package of the former Lille forward.

When Gooners start to see the game-changing impact that Gervinho can have on games, he will become a fan favorite and should not be without his own song before long.

We Will Have Another Center-Back Crisis

From the positive and optomistic to the negative and pessimistic.

I sense strong indications from Wenger that he will not spring for a center-back – or, at least one of real quality. He has already cited Vermaelen as an addition to the squad because he did not play last year, which is even more startling.

Let's leave aside for now Arsenal's need of a big, physical defender to help them defend set pieces. The main lesson that Arsene must (and can't) seem to learn is that an injury plague hits Arsenal every year and we must be equipped to deal with it.

I guarantee that what is going to end up happening will look something like this: Djourou and Koscielny go down, and a Vermaelen-Squillaci partnership will give Arsenal heart attacks as the team collapses defensively after February.

Sad, but true. On the injury and depth front, Wenger just can't learn his lesson.

Theo Walcott Will Become a Central Striker

This one has broader implications for the team as a whole. We've seen it with Henry, we've seen it with van Persie and we're about to see it with Theo Walcott. The winger is about to become a striker.

If you think about it, this move makes a whole lot of sense. Theo's speed would be devastating through the middle of the pitch, and van Persie would be a perfect Bergkamp to Walcott's Henry. Also, Theo's never really been a great crosser of the ball and has been at his best when he gets into the box and puts a finishing touch on a move.

Why does this have a larger impact on the team? Well, to accommodate two central stikers, Wenger would have to switch to a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 formation, thus reducing the number of central midfielders we can play to two. How do Ramsey, Wilshere, Nasri (possibly), Frimpong (in the future) and Cesc (possibly) fit in?

Only Wenger can decide.

Emmanuel Frimpong Will Be the Next Jack Wilshere

This is one that should have happened last year, but terrible luck got in the way and it was Jack Wilshere who rose to superstardom instead.

Despite this season being Frimpong's first in his comeback from a terrible cruciate ligament injury, the circumstances are even better for a break into the first team than they were last year. Why? We can thank the African Cup of Nations for that.

The tournament, which will take place during the middle of the season, will take Alex Song away from us, and Frimpong is the only one who can fit into the role of defensive/holding-midfielder in the mold of Song.

With a sharp display in the first preseason game against Mayalsia XI, it seems as if Emmanuel Frimpong is as ready as ever to make the jump to first-team football and be as successful as Jack Wilshere.

Aaron Ramsey Will Be Immense

Rounding out our all-British midfield of the not-so-distant future, Aaron Ramsey also looks poised for a breakout season.

The Wales captain looked to regain a good bit of sharpness towards the end of the season, and anyone who has seen his incredible pass to find Theo Walcott for Arsenal's second goal against Malaysia XI knows how brilliant the Welshman can be.

If Cesc Fabregas departs the Emirates this summer, which continues to look more and more likely, the likelihood of Ramsey getting increased playing time in midfield along with Nasri and Wilshere will exponentially increase.

I have no doubts that Ramsey can and has the ability to step into Fabregas's creative midfield role someday. That day is rapidly approaching, and Aaron will take a big step into Fabregas' shoes next season.

Carl Jenkinson Will Displace Emmanuel Eboue

Remember that incredible Emmanuel Eboue challenge on Lucas in the 108th minute of the game against Liverpool last season? Sure you do. It pounded the final nail into the coffin of Arsenal's title challenge. The good news is we probably won't be seeing much more of those in the future.

Yes, because the future lies with Carl Jenkinson. The former Charlton Athletic man looks poised to take the backup spot to Bacary Sagna this season, and a quality display in the friendly against Malaysia XI will only endear him to supporters.

After all the wrong that Eboue has done over his tenure at Arsenal, it really is not that difficult for Wenger to demote him in favor or the promising Jenkinson anyway. But when the latter comes in and immediately starts beating the rest of his team in fitness tests, it's not a hard decision to make.

Something tells me that the young Jenkison is really on the rise at the club, and Eboue is just one of the many casualties in his eventual rise to the starting spot in a few years.

Robin van Persie Will Stay Fit for (Almost) the Entire Season

I'm really going out on a limb with this one.

Though our Dutch striker has only played slightly more than 50 percent of total possible matches for Arsenal due to injury, I will take a bold step into uncharted territory and predict that Robin van Persie will stay fit for almost the entire season.

OK, I admit it—I couldn't go all the way with this one. It's unreasonable to assume, though, that any player is going to go through an entire grueling season without at least missing a couple of games.

Mark my words, though: This will be the year. With a full summer of rest and a proper preseason, the conditions are right for a full season of fitness for our world-class striker. And after an almost unblemished run of fitness (which translated itself to a vein of fantastic form) after January 1st, Robin has shown that his body is up to it.

Bonus prediction: van Persie, finally blessed with the opportunity to play a full season, will be the top scorer in the Premier League next season.

Arsenal Will Not Win the Premier League

Sorry, folks. This list of predictions is meant to be realistic from my point to view, not pandering.

I just don't see what's changed in Arsenal to lead me to believe that after February they won't just wilt like a dying plant. I realize that Thomas Vermaelen is back in the squad, but to me there is no real guiding light on this team.

Even still, I could have been persuaded if Arsenal had brought in a commanding center-back, but that has not happened as of yet, and I see no clear signals that it will happen at all this summer. And most importantly, Cesc Fabregas looks to be leaving the club, and even with the emergence of Ramsey, his quality is nearly impossible to replace.

Put your party hats back on, though! Get ready to party because...

Arsenal Will Win a Trophy

See, I told you guys I wouldn't leave you all on a depressing note! While I do not think that Arsenal have the depth or consistency to win the Premier League, I most certainly believe that they have the talent to win a cup competition.

Whether it is the Carling Cup or FA Cup, I am sure that Arsenal are ready and able to take the next step and finally win something. (I only rule out the Champions League because of Barcelona. Say what you want about us beating them, but they are incredible and unbeatable over two legs).

While the addition of Gervinho and the "addition" of Thomas Vermaelen are together not enough to carry Arsenal to the Premier League title, especially without Cesc, they are enough to bring another type of trophy to the barren trophy cabinet at the Emirates. I doubt that Vermaelen would have had that horrific mix-up with Szczesny in the Carling Cup if he was paired with Djourou instead of Koscielny.

So there, you can walk away mostly happy and satisfied, knowing that even though the Gunners will not bring back the Premier League trophy, there will be some sort of celebration at the Emirates Stadium next season. And for now, even though I'd rather have the Premier League trophy, that's good enough for me.