Time for England's decorated players to step out of the dark and show their true colours, writes IAN LADYMAN... this England squad contains serial winners, but where have they been?

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If there were to be a team comprising the best players of this tournament, not a single English name would be anywhere near it. That is just one of many things that needs to change if England are to reach the final of Euro 2024.

Gareth Southgate, the England manager, has not had a good three weeks here in Germany. He has at times seemed stuck for ideas and inspiration. That is not like him, but it has been apparent from the start.

It is not Southgate who will determine England’s fate over the next nine days, however. At international level, managers are facilitators. Their impact is not as profound as it can be at club level.

So for England to move forward beyond Saturday's quarter-final clash with Switzerland at the Merkur Spiel-Arena, England’s players must show their true selves, rather than the shadows that have somehow managed to ghost through the group stages and round of 16.

This England squad contains serial winners. It has a current Champions League winner in its ranks in Jude Bellingham. This time last year, John Stones, Kyle Walker and Phil Foden were Treble winners with Manchester City. Foden is last season’s double Premier League Player of the Year.

England manager Gareth Southgate (pictured) has had a tough few weeks in Germany 

This England squad contains some serial winners, including a current Champions League winner, Jude Bellingham (centre) 

But England's players have struggled to showcase their true potential and quality in Germany

But where have they been? Suffocated by pressure and expectation? Unlikely. They should be used to it. Weary after long domestic seasons? It is possible. The English winter break, such as it was, seems to have disappeared as quickly as it arrived, much to Southgate’s chagrin.

Whatever the case and whatever the reason, the time for improvement simply is now. Draws against Slovakia (over 90 minutes), Slovenia and Denmark reflect dreadfully on the efforts of this England team and if it is going to change now, it is time to stop looking at the manager and start looking at what lies within.

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‘As players, we always take the responsibility,’ said captain Harry Kane on Friday. ‘I know the boss at times will come under criticism and come under stick.

‘But, ultimately, it’s us on the pitch. It’s us who have to go out and play the way we want to play and make the difference in vital moments.

‘I think the players feel that. Every game we’ve tried to play better and improve. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, but the important thing is we find a way to get through to the next round. We want to play better against Switzerland and hopefully we can do that.’

As Southgate himself spoke on Friday, he briefly referenced the leadership qualities of Kieran Trippier and noted how such characteristics are disappearing from the English game. It was thought-provoking because it has been apparent here how England have suffered in that regard.

Drawing against Slovakia in 90 minutes, a 1-1 against Denmark and a 0-0 against Slovenia reflect poorly on the Three Lions

Harry Kane (pictured) stated that the responsibility falls on England's players to 'make the difference' adding his team are 'trying to play better and improve' 

Jude Bellingham has tried but has spent energy in too many of the wrong places. Declan Rice, an England captain in waiting, has not found his own form good enough to worry about anybody else. The likes of Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson, of course, are not here. This is an England team that needs direction, but it also needs a basic uptick in performance.

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Apart from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and perhaps central defender Marc Guehi, not a single player has played to his potential in Germany. Even Guehi, the Crystal Palace centre back, suffered in the last game and will miss tonight through suspension.

The idea of tiredness is real and has been discussed among the England squad in the last week.

It is, it must be said, an age-old English problem and certainly more relevant than Kane’s peculiar comments about the pitches here at this tournament.

Kane explained on Friday that he warned his England team-mates before the tournament that the grass would be long and therefore the movement of the ball would be slow.

Declan Rice (left), an England captain in waiting, has not found his own form good enough

Questions have also been asked of Kane's performances (centre) after he has struggled to find the back of the net in Germany

He added that he had experienced it in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. Kane scored 36 league goals at a rate of more than one a game last season, however. Out here, he has two and it is the very most he has deserved. His play has, in truth, been as ponderous as anybody’s.

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Earlier this week, defender Stones talked about the emotional turning point that Bellingham’s late equaliser against Slovakia may turn out to be. It is a reasonable observation. Whatever it takes to light a fire under this England team would be appreciated.

‘Any major winner, or country that wins, probably looks back at a moment that changed the course of their tournament, or was a big moment in getting them through,’ nodded Kane.

‘Obviously Jude stepped up and has done that for us. I said at the time that it was one of the best goals in English history.

‘I can’t remember in a knockout stage, something that dramatic or late to help us get through.

John Stones spoke this week of how Bellingham's (left) goal against Slovakia could be 'the spark that the team needed'

Stones (pictured) added that his side were taking things 'step by step' and anticipated a 'very tough game' against Switzerland

‘It’s been a long time since an Englishman has done that, so those are the moments you might look back on in 10 or 11 days, whenever the final is, and be like, “Wow, that was the turning point”.

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‘We’ve still got three big games ahead, so it’s step by step. This will be a really tough game, we know that.

‘So really until the end of the tournament we won’t know for sure. But I think 100 per cent that can be the spark that the team needed.’

Kane has been here before. This is England’s fourth tournament quarter-final on the spin under Southgate and they have won three of them, the defeat by France at the last World Cup being the outlier.

The former Tottenham forward mentioned on Friday that he is motivated by some of the pain these tournaments have delivered in the latter stages.

Granit Xhaka (pictured) and his Switzerland team will be a huge test for the Three Lions

Switzerland advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition after beating Italy 2-0 

Kane (centre) has stated that he is motivated to win by the pain that these tournaments have delivered in the past

He also mentioned that England’s football probably needs to do a little more of the talking for them and on this he was absolutely right.

England have played this tournament on mute and that is not only the fault of their manager.

On Saturday in Germany, they really need to find their voices.