England are a tricky watch and play like a lion in a cage which reacts if you poke them… however Gareth Southgate managed it nicely, writes GRAEME SOUNESS

It was practical, attritional, laborious to look at however it’s important to say England took fabulous penalties.

These left within the event will likely be trying throughout realizing that enjoying England just isn’t going to be straightforward, they’re laborious to interrupt down.

However they don’t play the model of soccer all of us crave, they play like a lion in a cage the place when you poke them then they react.

Gareth Southgate managed it nicely.

He reacted once they went a aim down and the substitutions he introduced on after 78 minutes made sense.

Southgate reacted with adjustments after Breel Embolo gave Switzerland the lead on Saturday

After the adjustments, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than Bukayo Saka levelled the rating for England

England’s penalties had been improbable, however the Three Lions must enhance significantly to have any probability ought to they attain the ultimate

If you end up in that place, when the staff has gone a bit flat, it’s tough as a result of the opposition may go and add one other however the precise gamers got here on in Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze and Luke Shaw and England had been faster and extra constructive of their passing. It energised the staff they usually gained the higher hand. They seemed livelier.

If you end up in that place you haven’t any possibility however to go for it and that was the shock within the earlier sport towards Slovakia when Gareth didn’t react like that till the dying embers of the competition.

I believed Bukayo Saka was fabulous. He was my man of the match not only for his attacking play however doing the laborious yards and serving to out his defence, going again to his personal aim. It was higher than what we have now seen to date however nonetheless fairly uninteresting. The issue is either side had been scared to make a mistake so it was a really cagey affair.

I’m not satisfied altering the formation made such a distinction — and what Gareth does subsequent, nicely I wouldn’t wish to second guess. As I’ve stated beforehand, I don’t know what he has seen generally on this event however it was an enchancment. He gained’t care as a result of he’s in a semi-final once more and nobody will really feel comfy dealing with them.

It’s a must to say the penalties had been terrific, nobody blinked, and that portrays nice confidence. Perhaps the change of system will give them meals for thought for the semi-final. I don’t consider it gave them extra of a aim menace or creativity, that solely actually modified with the substitutions. However it has put them in a marvellous place as a result of I consider they’ll win the semi-final after which it’s both France or Spain.

Nevertheless, each these groups are on one other degree up in comparison with what England have confronted to date on this event they usually must increase their sport significantly once they play both of these.