Don't underestimate 2-5-3, mate. It's not by any means a poor formation to use in Longball, I used it with a lot of success last season. In fact, against weaker teams you might be better off with it than with 5-2-3, given the fact that you get to use most of your powerful players -- your midfielders (and to some extent your strikers)! A 5-2-3 Longball mirror last night probably would have resulted in a draw.