Jorge is not going to be happy

[Luis Anaconda]

"We wanted to give a bit more freedom to Alexis, playing a bit behind Danny [Welbeck], more like a 4-4-2, which we haven't played for a while"

[Rich]

[Pat Vegas]

[Luis Anaconda]

[Classic Jorge]

Which was a 4-4-1-1

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Honestly. Arsene does speak to the lowest common denominator sometimes.

[Ben.]

Robert and Freddie were so attacking.

It still looks the best formation for us, we just need to find a balance in the two, probably requires buying someone to play with Aaron.

[Classic Jorge]

But for the gaping hole at the centre of it

[Luis Anaconda]

[Supermac1976]

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/06/1d/3f/061d3f5f7db22e40dff743f8d7744441.jpg

[Ben.]

Just the lack of personel, Barcelona are just greedy having Busquets and Mascherano, I'd kill for either.

[Classic Jorge]

And obviously Romford tucking in to a ridiculous level on the right.

Or for that matter, later on, when Henry dropped back on to the wing whilst Bobby pushed in and up and Cole played most of the time as a wide forward.

All I'm saying is to describe it as a 4-4-2, with all the attendant baggage and connotations, is a little prosaic, not to say pejorative.

[Classic Jorge]

There has been no midfield as plain damn sexy as the Xabi Alonso/Mascherano one Liverpool had in 2009.

[Berni]

They're all presumably just frameworks with a degree of flexibility and adaptation built in?

[Ben.]

I would say the same about Busquets, primarily under-appreciated because of Barca/Spain's other players and also on the basis of being an absolutely hideous c*nt.

[Classic Jorge]

You know that forfahtoo means at least one big man up top, two if you want to achieve a proper anglo-saxon Corinthian zenith.

It means two wingers, proper 'chalk on the boots' wingers, mind. It means lads in the middle with great engines, it means refusing to pass the ball sideways, it means your defenders will at all times only pass the ball to the upper tier of the stands and it means, above all, that you will get in their faces and show passion.

4-4-2 is just a formation.

[Berni]

I certainly can't remember seeing one. Your problem, it seems to me, is that 4-4-2 has become a shibboleth in your mind just as much as you assume it is for others.

You are - in your own, negative way - just as much in thrall to the cult 4-4-2 as those you decry. You should free your mind.

[Luis Anaconda]

all the more reason not to get upset when people want 4-4-2 though since it can't really be defined

[Classic Jorge]

And seriously, it the golem of forfahtoo is still lumbering around wreaking havoc on british football up and down all of the silly named divisions below our own.

It remains the default way the english think about football and, even after the best part of two decades under arsene, it is still the way some of our own fans think about it.

[Ben.]

http://www.awimb.com/fudforum/index.php?t=tree&goto=3950 551&rid=7417&S=ba9db9a2a1a67b3e300d80718502546a (http://www.awimb.com/fudforum/index.php?t=tree&goto=3950551&rid=7417&S=ba9db9a2a1a67b3e300d80718502546a)

[Classic Jorge]

Increasingly rare but very much still part of the collective consciousness and still very funny even if all right thinking people know they're a bit wrong.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Pulis' teams are still pretty rigid.

[Ben.]

was probably the only one really unhappy when they appointed him, he's very much with me and the ramble's Luke Moore, out by March.

[Berni]

[Classic Jorge]

[Ben.]

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45354000/jpg/_45354944_clough282.jpg