Yahoo Sports Three at the back? Select your England XI for Switzerland
England have been training with a back three as they prepare for their Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday (17:00 BST).
With centre-back Marc Guehi suspended but left-back Luke Shaw returning to open training, is a change in system the right way to go?
Check out the squad list below and select your England XI for the match.
Need inspiration? Back 3 stats...
Of Southgate's 99 games in charge, he has used a back three or a back five in exactly a third of them - 33 games.
His win ratio is 48.5% with a back three or back five, compared to 60.5% win ratio overall.
When facing a back three or back five - as Switzerland use - Southgate's win ratio is 61% from 41 games.
This exact side above was used on four occasions by Southgate - all at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, beating Tunisia 2-1 in the group stage, Colombia on penalties in the last-16 tie; Sweden 2-0 in the quarter-finals, but losing 2-1 to Croatia in the semi-final.
Southgate used a back three or back five formation for a run of 16 straight games between October 2017 and ending in September 2018 with a 1-0 friendly win over Switzerland, which included every game at the 2018 World Cup. Southgate then flipped to a 4-3-3 formation for almost all of the following two years.
England used a back three in just two games at Euro 2020 - the last-16 victory over Germany and in the final against Italy.
Southgate has not started with a back three or back five formation in the last 23 games - since a 3-3 Nations League draw with Germany in September 2022. They played four at the back throughout the Qatar World Cup.
There has been discussion about England 'matching up' Switzerland's formation, but the last time England 'matched' a top European side with three at the back was a 1-0 Nations League loss in Italy in September 2022.
