Gareth Southgate considers shock switch to back three for Euro 2024 quarter-final vs Switzerland

Gareth Southgate is considering a switch to a back three for England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday as the manager desperately seeks an improvement in performance.

It is understood that Southgate has trialled a return to a back three in training this week in preparation for a game in which he will be forced to make at least one change in defence.

Ezri Konsa is currently first in line to replace the suspended Marc Guehi, but it could be as part of a new-look back three with John Stones in the centre and Kyle Walker on the right.

That would leave Southgate plenty of options of who to play as his wing-backs, as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Bukayo Saka and Luke Shaw, if he is fit, can all fill the positions on the right and left.

Southgate switched to a back three towards the end of the last-16 game against Slovakia, but has not sent his team out in that formation in a major tournament since the final of the European Championship in 2021, which England lost to Italy.

England still have two more training sessions left this week before the Switzerland game in which he could decide to stick with a back four, but it is clear that a back three is being given some serious consideration.

Switch would show initial plan did not work

While a switch to a back three may be welcomed by some, it could also cause some surprise given England players had claimed the squad had only trained in a back four up until this week.

Southgate is well aware of Switzerland’s strengths and also how his team struggled against Denmark’s back three in the Group C draw. It was notable that a back five of mannequins were set up on England’s Blankenhain training pitch on Wednesday.

But switching his formation so radically at this stage of the Euros would provide some recognition that Southgate’s initial plan did not work, as England are yet to produce a convincing 90-minute performance.

Southgate recognised after the Slovakia victory that England will have to perform much better to beat the Swiss, who are going into the game with plenty of confidence.

Moving to a back three would give Southgate the option of starting with two strikers, although he has always previously preferred to go with two attacking players behind Harry Kane when he has used the formation in the past.

That would potentially allow Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden to start as two number 10s behind Kane with the width coming from England’s wing-backs.

Ivan Toney was thrown on next to Kane in the Slovakia game, but he dodged the question when asked if Southgate had looked at two strikers in training this week.

“You’ll have to ask the gaffer,” said Toney. “We concentrate more on the opposition we’re coming up against, so we do more movements and repetitions on them.

“I am not the manager. Obviously, I would like to be playing as a two, but that is the gaffer and his choice. We have to respect that and go with that. Everyone wants to play, whether that is a two or as one I will do my best for the squad.”

Whether or not he starts the Switzerland game, Toney will almost certainly be on the pitch if the quarter-final tie goes to a penalty shoot-out, given his excellent record from the spot.

And Toney has insisted that he would not let the racist abuse Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho suffered after missing against Italy in 2021 put him off taking a penalty.

“I’m a confident person,” said Toney. “If I score, I score. If I miss, I miss. We have to step up and you have to have the courage to take a penalty. What will be, will be. For those who racially abuse a player for missing a penalty or doing something wrong, more fool them.”

Asked where his confidence comes from, Toney added: “I think it’s within, within the people around you. The manager puts his trust into you. Everyone around you, really.”