Men against boys | How United rated | How Arsenal rated | United marching on Rome | How the action unfolded
Patrick Barclay’s verdict | Matt Dickinson: Ferguson closes on greatness | Cascarino: Arsenal found wanting
Sympathy no consolation for Fletcher | Graphic: Talking tactics | Graphic: Breaking point

I am bored of hearing about how brilliant Arsenal's kids are and how great they will be in a couple of years. What about the here and now? I look at them and just see a soft touch. What use is technique without character? After Manchester United's first two goals, Arsenal petered out, which tells you exactly what this team are about.

When the chips are down, they can't transform their fortunes, they can't make things happen. That's what champions do - that's what United do. Just look at their 5-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur last month, when United recovered from 2-0 down at half-time.

Yes, they had a slice of luck in that match when they were awarded a dubious penalty, but they still swarmed all over Spurs, responding to adversity with skill, determination and fury.

Arsenal, last night, were nothing like that. No courageous fightback from a nightmare position, no willpower to change their fate, just a few chances and a goal when it was far too late.

It doesn't help that they lack experienced squad players who can come in and do a solid job. Park Ji Sung, John O'Shea and Darren Fletcher have proved very useful to United over these two legs, but there are no equivalent players in North London. That trio probably wouldn't get in Arsenal's first XI, but Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, knows the value of trustworthy utility men.

Cristiano Ronaldo is an automatic first choice of course, and we saw a glimpse of the future last night when he was selected to play as a centre forward. Long term, I think that's where he will play if he wants to. He can do all the things the best strikers can do, so why leave him out on the wing?

He takes so much criticism, but Ronaldo is all you could want in an attacker. He can hold the ball up, head it, shoot, create, he's tough, he has superb movement, wins a ton of free kicks, can dribble for miles or finish with one touch, as he did for his second goal last night. Why not play him down the middle instead of out wide, where he's more likely to drift in and out of matches.

It could be Ferguson's secret weapon in the bid to keep Ronaldo at Old Trafford next season: promise him more starts as a centre forward. A billing as a star striker would probably appeal to Ronaldo's ego and it would boost his goalscoring. Thirty league goals in a campaign might be achievable. The chance to break records and earn more accolades might tempt him.

Converting Ronaldo would surely mean that Carlos Tévez would leave Old Trafford, but it wouldn't really affect Wayne Rooney, who would play deeper or wider, or alongside Ronaldo in a front two on occasion.

For all Ronaldo's brilliance and Arsenal's flatness, last night's match was effectively settled by one individual mistake. Is it a coincidence that the same Arsenal player slipped in both legs? Nerves, or inexperience, perhaps? I look at that and think he must have the wrong boots on. Kieran Gibbs is only a kid, he shouldn't take all the blame, but was he wearing blades instead of old-fashioned screw-in studs? I see it so often - players who fall over because their trendy boots are useless. They may look great, but they don't help you stay on your feet.

I watch players slip five times in the same game, then wear the same pair the next week. The Emirates Stadium pitch is lush and green and slick, making players even more likely to lose their feet. Managers should check their players' footwear more often.

It's hard to believe in an era when everything at the top level is so carefully controlled and analysed that players would be able to step on to the pitch with boots that might be unsuitable.