Euro 2024 comment: Lions in the autumn, lambs in the summer - can England find their claws at last?

So far in Germany, Michel Platini’s famous quote about the England national team has rung true, apart from a mad few minutes in Gelsenkirchen.

Gareth Southgate’s latest version have looked leggy, timid, submissive, subdued and increasingly confused in all honesty.

Fortunately, the one quality that all aspiring sides require in major tournaments has been their best buddy. Luck.

An intelligent fellow, Southgate seems astute enough to have come to the realisation that you cannot push it.

If England’s passive football continues, they will lose to Switzerland, the first serious side they have met in the competition, in Dusseldorf later today.

Urgent action is needed and while it remains to be seen if the beleaguered England manager has come up with something nuanced to stop Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden from running into cul-de-sacs, his decision - by all accounts - to switch to a three-man defence to presumably give England better width further forward is bold and proactive at least.

He simply has to do something and while it may not be what everyone is hankering for, it appears to be at least something.

More roundhead than cavalier by nature, Southgate has previously utilised a back three at the World Cup in 2018 and on a couple of occasions in the last European Championships.

The switch back would be significant, but it does not show that Southgate has suddenly turned into a spendthrift and gambler. There is a caveat.

Without the presence of Marc Guehi - one of the few ticks in the box for England up to press from an individual perspective - Southgate is expected to slot Ezri Konsa into central defence alongside Kyle Walker and John Stones.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bukayo Saka, Kieran Trippier and perhaps Eberechi Eze represent options at wing-back. The lesser-spotted Luke Shaw per chance?

Should Southgate switch, it would not represent the first time that an under-pressure England boss has converted to a three-man central defence in the course of a major tournament.

If he can enjoy the success which a certain Bobby Robson had in that regard at the start of the 1990s, then no-one will be complaining.

Robson’s lightbulb moment came after a turgid opening group game against Republic of Ireland in the rain in Cagliari in Italia 90, which ended in a bore draw.

He then staked his reputation on changing his system and matching up with the Netherlands in the next game and playing the Dutch at their own sweeping game.

Mark Wright slotted in seamlessly as the libero and the rest is history. England drew with Holland, but deserved to win and emerged as credible candidates again. It took them within a penalty shoot-out of reaching the World Cup final.

Just as Robson went like for like, it appears that Southgate could effectively do the same against a Swiss side who wiped the floor with Italy in their fine 2-0 victory in Berlin seven days ago and looked slick in their 3-4-2-1 formation.

There are parallels between Southgate now and Robson back then.

Just as England are seeking to rediscover themselves in their hour of need, there will be the fervent belief in their opponent that this is their time as well.

Switzerland may lack the traditional cachet of the sort of opponent who you would normally expect to lock horns against in a quarter-finals of a knock-out trophy, but it does them a disservice in truth.

They comprehensively dispatched the holders last weekend and held host nation Germany to a draw in Frankfurt on June 23 and almost beat them.

Murat Yakin’s side famously sent France packing at Euro 2020 with a monumental and fully merited upset in Bucharest and only lost to Spain in a shoot-out.

Six of the side who started off against the French are expected to line up against the English today. With an average age of 30, the Swiss are experienced and possess a strong core of players, especially in midfield and at the back.

Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji and Newcastle United’s Fabian Schar play in front of goalkeeper Yann Sommer, while Granit Zhaka - one of the classiest schemers on show so far and reinvigorated following his move from Arsenal to Bayer Leverkusen - has formed one of the best central midfield partnerships on show in the finals with Remo Freuler, on the books of Nottingham Forest.

On the wing, Dan Ndoye has also been a stand-out and the power of Breel Embolo up top is something England would do well not to ignore.

An opponent to be respected for sure and the questions belong to England today. They could do with asking a few of their opponent in truth.

Change has the word of the week on the political front. It also aptly sums up what England and their manager must do to take their tournament into a fourth and final week and onto Dortmund and maybe even Berlin.