Bukayo Saka has disagreed with Arsenal legend Ian Wright over being ‘played out of position’ as England search for balance [Daniela Porcelli/SPP]

THE knockout stages of any major sporting tournament are meant to arrive gift-wrapped in nervous tension. But rarely have expectations on England to deliver ahead of a must-win match been so tapered.

With the wealth of talent at Gareth Southgate’s disposal it’s farcical that the Three Lions look more like underdogs ahead of their Euro 2024 quarter-final tie against Switzerland on Saturday.

But when the two teams step out at the Düsseldorf Arena only one can be described as well organised, energetic and entertaining, as genuine contenders for the crown – and it’s not England.

There are growing rumours of unrest within the squad, with Southgate admitting himself that Ivan Toney “was pretty disgusted” at being brought on as a substitute against Slovakia on Sunday with just a minute of injury-time left on the clock and England trailing 1-0.

Jude Bellingham’s brilliant bicycle kick has since gone down in footballing folklore, and Southgate insisted that he and Toney have “made up now” after the Brentford forward set up Harry Kane for an extra-time winner.

But in reality Southgate is spending most of his time searching for solutions to problems he has created himself.

Just ask Bukayo Saka. With England lacking natural width down the left, Arsenal legend Ian Wright was among those suggesting that Saka should drop into a more defensive role, freeing up space for Cole Palmer to join the attack.

The Arsenal winger strongly disagreed, however, telling BBC 5 Live: “No, obviously I love Ian Wright and he says so many great things about me, but I don’t think putting me out of position is the solution.”

Yet, just past the hour mark against Slovakia, on came Chelsea’s Palmer, and Saka was shuffled down the pitch where all his pace and promise wouldn’t get in the way.

Southgate hasn’t ruled out repeating the switch this weekend against Switzerland, saying: “We felt that Bukayo at left-back gave us an extra attacking outlet. It is a good option to have.”

The good news is that the England players looked relaxed and in good spirits this week, even after being serenaded by Ed Sheeran who treated the squad to a private performance.

And it’s certainly a lot easier to turn your fortunes around while still in a tournament rather than on the plane home.

After surviving their scare against Slovakia and battling back to earn a 2-1 victory, Southgate said: “There’s no question it will give the whole group belief. We know we should be better than we’ve been but we’ve ended up with a lot of young players in important positions and trying to solve problems right the way through the four weeks of camp.

“But the standout is the way the players are dealing with it. Their togetherness, their spirit.”

Let’s hope we see more of that spirit and togetherness against Switzerland on Saturday.