Euro 2024 - England vs Switzerland: Gary Neville believes Three Lions will lose quarter-final if they do not improve

Gary Neville thinks that England will lose to Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarter-final if Gareth Southgate's team keeps playing like they are now. The Sky Sports analyst is suggesting that the Three Lions' coach should be more daring in his team choices.

England came close to being knocked out of the tournament by Slovakia in the last 16, with only 86 seconds left when Jude Bellingham's amazing overhead kick saved the day. This forced the game into extra time, where Harry Kane scored the winning goal, securing England's victory.

England's next opponent is Switzerland, who defeated Italy in the last-16 match on Saturday. Neville thinks that if England doesn't get better, they won't have the same luck this weekend.

He said to Sky Sports News that this England team has not performed well four times in this tournament. They are hoping that this will be the start of better performances and a shift in how they play.

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"Victory is crucial in competitions, but how well you play also matters because being the weaker team can only take you so far. If England continues to perform below par, it may lead to their downfall on Saturday."

If someone had offered us the chance to face Switzerland in the quarter-finals three weeks ago, we would have gladly accepted. This England squad, Gareth Southgate, the players, and the fans would have been extremely excited.

"Switzerland is performing strongly and they are a respectable team. The players understand this and will not underestimate them. However, if we do not improve our performance, we will be eliminated on Saturday."

We were lucky to beat Slovakia and had luck on our side in the group stage. If Denmark had scored one more goal, we would have faced Germany. We've been fortunate twice already, and it seems like fate might be on our side. However, I have a feeling that we'll face a tough challenge if we keep going. We need to take risks and play freely to continue our journey.

Our team resembled past England squads who appeared absolutely terrified, just like in the first half of the match yesterday.

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Neville's Lineup For Switzerland?

Neville discussed the "challenges" regarding the team selection by Southgate. In the previous four Euro 2024 games, the England coach has consistently chosen the same 10 players, with only slight variations including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, and Kobbie Mainoo competing for the central midfield position.

Neville hopes to have Alexander-Arnold play as the right-back, moving Kyle Walker to the left-back position. He also wants Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon to start in the attack instead of Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden. However, the ex-Manchester United and England defender thinks that making significant changes is improbable.

"We were expecting more adjustments and more involvement, but Gareth is not planning to do that at the moment," Neville stated. "I believe some changes are necessary, but Gareth has made the fewest changes possible in the first four games."

He will have to make a change in the team lineup because [Marc] Guehi is suspended, but other than that, he will join the players on the field and attempt to help them improve by maintaining a consistent approach. As they continue to work together and develop their resilience, they will hopefully start to show improvement.

"It seems like things have changed. If we keep choosing the same players, the problem of imbalance will persist. We need to make a change and start fresh, but I'm not sure it will happen."

Is Shaw At Risk For England This Weekend?

One option Southgate could consider is putting Luke Shaw in the starting left-back position. Shaw, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury, has not been in action since February. However, he was selected as a substitute in the narrow victory against Slovakia.

"Neville mentioned that he was able to come off the bench yesterday after having trained for five days to strengthen his legs and body before Saturday."

Taking a chance on Luke Shaw could pay off. When he's in top form, he can make a huge impact. The struggles on the left side may stem from the fact that players like Diogo Dalot, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Victor Lindelof aren't as effective in that position.

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho faced difficulties because they didn't have Luke Shaw there to connect with them and back them up. It is a crucial component that England has been missing and has struggled as a result. Phil Foden has also experienced the same issues. Shaw's ability to overlap and underlap is something we lack.

Should we take a chance by playing Shaw on Saturday? In my opinion, the answer is yes. Despite the potential risks, it is crucial for England to try something different and make changes. If Southgate believes Shaw can deliver a good performance, he will include him in the lineup, but it is a risky decision.