Since the start of the European Championship, Crystal Palace defender Gueye has been a regular alongside Stones in England’s starting lineup, earning the full trust of manager Gareth Southgate. But after the round of 16, Gueye was suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, missing the quarterfinal clash against Switzerland. With Gueye’s absence, rumors began to circulate that Southgate would switch to a three-back system. According to the Daily Star, Southgate and his coaching staff were furious about the leak, believing that someone within the team had revealed tactical secrets to the media.
Perhaps realizing that the tactical change was no longer a secret, England players have finally spoken out. In an interview, Stones said: “Any team, if they want to win, if they want to go further, they have to keep improving, keep improving, keep playing better football. And we’re trying to do that. As players and as a team, we need to be at our best. Honestly, after the round of 16, we used these few days to make ourselves stronger, and it’s been amazing.”
On the topic of switching to a three-back system, Stones stated: “The idea to play three at the back was not mine, I wouldn’t go to him with a decision of that magnitude.” Stones then added: “It’s not something we take lightly, but we can switch to a three-back system easily, we can do it, and we are confident about it.”
On July 7th at 00:00, England will face Switzerland in the European Championship quarterfinal. In the round of 16, England beat Slovakia 2-1 thanks to Bellingham’s equalizer and Kane’s decisive goal in extra time. Meanwhile, Switzerland defeated defending champions Italy 2-0.
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