So after last night.....is that the starting xi and formation sorted

[The Tony]

Santi in a deeper role with Flamini

With Ox, Oxil and Alexis supporting Welbeck

Thought it looked balanced and really allowed for more fluid play.

people shouldn't forget that Santi use to play at the base of a diamond formation for Malaga so he could thrive in this position especially with Flamini next to him to clatter whoever is giving him a hard time...

would mean that Ramsey and Jack are on the bench but at least we have the structure and balance right.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

[The Tony]

From what we've seen so far the 4--1-4-1 is too unbalanced and could potentially be a disaster against a decent side...infact the dortmund defeat proved that.

Lets see how SANTI and Flamini get on then take it from there.

[Ashberto]

But having failed to beat a **** team on Saturday it is an improvement, at least, to have beaten a **** team on Wednesday.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Arsenal played well last night, no doubt at all, some very good performances by certain players.

I am just not sure it is a blueprint for the future on the basis of having played one very poor team that offered next to nothing until we had the game well won and eased off. It was embarrassing to see such a great footballer such as Sneijder running around in such a side.

Not having a pop at Tony here but chaps are over fixating with numbers, getting hung up on us being 4-1-4-1 instead of 4-2-3-1 or god save us from Jorge 4-4-2. You can stick any amount of numbers down and line your players up in alleged formations as if you are about to kick off a Subbuteo game but it all boils down to players running around a lot, positions consistenly and constantly changing, players using tactical intelligence and not over committing, or covering for others when need be.

We may well be unbalanced or exposed at 4-1-4-1 but we played slighty different last season and still came away from Sunday’s equivalent with a 6 goal rogering.

[Ashberto]

Not sure that's de rigueur these days.

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66497000/jpg/_66497295_grt2011064g00546.jpg

[Classic Jorge]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Though you will accept it is a term I will never use.