Is three really the magic number for England? They need a change of mood and pace as much as change of system.

“I knew that if the Italians came with a back-four, we would destroy them,” so said Murat Yakin, Switzerland’s uber-bright coach after their round-of-16 victory over the European champions. Yakin knew his pressing plan, and his players’ expert and energetic implementation of it, would pay off. Under a high press, Italy either surrendered possession or went long, usually returning the ball to the Swiss.

       Yakin’s comments must have been noted by Gareth Southgate as he plans for their quarter-final in Dusseldorf on Saturday. Yakin’s approach is surely one reason why England experimented with a back-three in training at Blankenhain this week. Training is closed today, so no cameras or prying journalist eyes are permitted, even for 15 minutes, even to check whether the mannequins are laid out in advance as a three or a four.

       England need a change of mood and change of pace as much as a change of system. What Southgate calls the “unusual environment” around the squad, meaning the “noise” on the outside, is nonsense. The noise has all been football-related, debates about the team’s lack of identity, imbalance on the left, proliferation of No 10s, intermittent pressing and frustrating habit of sitting back when going ahead. It’s a football debate, not the grotesque personalising of individuals with effigies, images of nooses and donkeys as in the past, obsession with wags or, and this was hugely legitimate, discussions around migrant work rights in Qatar.