This is Gareth Southgate's last roll of the dice. It is a big gamble but it could liberate England, writes OLIVER HOLT

  • Gareth Southgate could switch to three-at-the-back against Switzerland

By Oliver Holt

Published: | Updated:

There is a picture taken after England's first match of the 1990 World Cup that shows Bobby Robson, deep in thought, gazing out from a balcony at the team hotel in Sardinia after his side had stumbled to a 1-1 draw in their opening game against the Republic of Ireland.

Robson and the players were deluged with criticism after the Ireland game. Some newspapers fell back on the familiar demand of that time that we should 'Bring them home' because they were so dismayed by the result.

Robson decided to make changes. Some said there was a player revolt and that they demanded he switch the formation from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2. Robson said those claims belonged 'in the realms of fiction' but after consulting Gary Lineker, Bryan Robson and Terry Butcher, Robson acted.


He brought in Mark Wright to play in a back three with Des Walker and Butcher, while Paul Parker and Stuart Pearce excelled as wing backs. England were transformed. The switch liberated them and set them off on their run to the semi-finals.

I don't know if Gareth Southgate has a balcony at the Weimarer Land Spa & Golf Resort where England are based in eastern Germany, but if he does, it is a fair bet that he will have been spending a considerable amount of time on it, also deep in thought.

Gareth Southgate is considering a switch to three-at-the-back for the clash with Switzerland

At Italia 90, Bobby Robson switched formation after a poor start to England's campaign

At Italia 90, Bobby Robson switched formation after a poor start to England's campaign

England were hesitant, cautious, uninspired and stuck in bad habits for most of the clash

It is a big gamble if Southgate does similar, but it could liberate the Three Lions in Germany 

There has been much to ponder and much to try to fix over the course of England's first four games at this European Championship. After the hair's-breadth victory over Slovakia last Sunday, Southgate spoke about the 'sticking plasters' he'd had to apply to team selection and the 'strange journey' on which tournaments can take a team.

Now it appears that he, too, is on the verge of switching to a back three for tomorrow's quarter-final against Switzerland in Dusseldorf.

It is a change precipitated partly by Marc Guehi's suspension and partly by the fact the system England played against Serbia, Denmark, Slovenia and Slovakia simply was not working.

Southgate has tried tweaking the personnel and, even if there were slight improvements, England still did not perform anywhere close to their potential against the Slovaks. Switzerland are a better team than any of the nations England have played so far. Southgate had a stark choice for this assignment: change or go home.

This is the last roll of the dice. It is a gamble but there is a certain logic to it and a hope that changing the system will be the shift that finally gets the best out of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and the captain Harry Kane.

The system has some happy connotations for England under Southgate, too. He used it against Germany in the round-of-16 tie at Euro 2020, which England won 2-0 with one of their best performances of Southgate's 99 games at the helm. He used it in the final against Italy, too.

England were understandably wary yesterday of giving away too many clues about their intentions for their last-eight clash, but with Guehi out, many have suggested since Sunday that playing 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 is the obvious way to go.

A back three could see John Stones and Kyle Walker line up at centre back with Ezri Konsa

A back three could see John Stones and Kyle Walker line up at centre back with Ezri Konsa 

Stones revealed he hadn't discussed it with Southgate but gave his backing to the move

Stones revealed he hadn't discussed it with Southgate but gave his backing to the move

'I've not spoken to Gareth about it,' John Stones said at England's media base in Blankenhain. 'I wouldn't go to him with potentially a big decision like that. We've done it in previous tournaments, though. Germany I remember, at the last Euros, and previous to that we did it in 2018.

'I think it's a great thing to have in the locker for us as a team if we need to go to that and play that system. It's something that shouldn't be underestimated for us as a team, that we can do it so easily and seamlessly, and kind of click together.

'We have to improve as a team and how we are playing our football. We work really hard on trying to get the best out of us as players and as a collective.

'We've got one more day before the game and hopefully we can fine-tune a few things that we have worked on over the past few days and see where it takes us.'

England have, mostly, played well at the back until now. That, and two stunning Bellingham goals, have been England's redeeming features. But there is hope that moving to three at the back will unlock potential further forwards in the side that has so far remained hidden.

Many will see the change in system as an opportunity to play Trent Alexander-Arnold at right wing back, with perhaps Bukayo Saka on the left. Whether Luke Shaw is fit to play could affect both of those decisions, though. If he doesn't make it, Ezri Konsa may come in alongside Kyle Walker and Stones in the three-man defence.

Further forward, it would probably mean that Foden, Bellingham and Kane play in a golden triangle at the head of the side with Foden and Bellingham supporting Kane as dual No10s. It is a combination that should frighten any defence in the world.

'We've got to try to bring that feel-good factor from the 2018 World Cup back and that comes with winning, playing well, exciting the nation,' Stones said.

'We know the fans are behind us and that's an incredible feeling in itself, but for us to not be performing at our peak or as well as we know we can, that is frustrating.

'That's a point that I've made and wanted to get across to everyone: that we've got to do better, to keep improving and progressing in this tournament. This week has been great, we have seen a shift already. Sometimes in these games, in these tournaments, to win when it is not pretty is a positive.

'I know everyone won't see it that way, but to get over the line in difficult moments while not playing well only leads us to improve and keep striving to play better. Hopefully it'll be a turning point.'

It would probably mean Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane play in a golden triangle

It would probably mean Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane play in a golden triangle

The new system is a fierce proposition for opponents and there is hope it will unleash Foden

The new system is a fierce proposition for opponents and there is hope it will unleash Foden 

Some, of course, will still clamour for more personnel changes after the manner of the performance against Slovakia, where England came within seconds of being eliminated.

This time, they are playing a Swiss team that sauntered past Italy in the previous round and held hosts Germany to a draw in the group stage.

But England have the players and Southgate is picking the best of them. The problem is getting the best out of them. That has singularly failed to happen in 400 minutes of football so far in Germany.

Three at the back has reinvigorated an England team before at a major tournament. Now it is time for Southgate to turn to its properties again.

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