England are a tough watch and play like a lion in a cage which reacts when you poke them… but Gareth Southgate managed it well, writes GRAEME SOUNESS

It was functional, gruelling and difficult to watch, but you have to say England took fantastic penalties.

Those still in the tournament will look the other way and know that playing England will not be easy. They are hard to break.

But they don’t play the kind of football we all yearn for. They play like a lion in a cage. If you poke them, they react.

Gareth Southgate did well.

He responded when they went a goal down and the substitutions he made after 78 minutes were logical.

Southgate responded with changes after Breel Embolo put Switzerland ahead on Saturday

After the changes it didn’t take long for Bukayo Saka to level the score for England

England’s penalty shootout was fantastic, but the Three Lions will need to improve significantly to have any chance if they reach the final.

When you are in that position, when the team is a bit flat, it is difficult because the opponent can add another one, but the right players came in Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze and Luke Shaw and England were quicker and more positive in their passing. It gave the team energy and they got the upper hand. They looked more alive.

When you are in that position, you have no choice but to go for it. That was the surprise in the previous game against Slovakia, when Gareth only reacted like that when the game was almost over.

I thought Bukayo Saka was fantastic. He was my man of the match, not only for his attacking play but also for working hard and helping his defence, getting back to his own goal. It was better than what we have seen so far but still pretty boring. The problem is that both sides were afraid of making a mistake so it was a very cautious affair.

I’m not convinced that changing the formation made that much of a difference – and what Gareth does next, I don’t want to question. As I said before, I don’t know what he’s seen at times in this tournament, but it was an improvement. It won’t matter to him because he’s in the semi-final again and no one will feel comfortable going up against them.

You have to say the penalties were great, nobody blinked and that shows a lot of confidence. Maybe the change of system gives them food for thought for the semi-final. I don’t think it gave them more danger or creativity, that really changed with the substitutions. But it has put them in a great position because I believe they will win the semi-final and then it’s France or Spain.

However, both teams are much better than the teams England have faced in this tournament so far and they will need to up their game considerably if they play either team.