If the evidence of your own eyes hadn't already told you as much, England's players were reportedly left confused and surprised by Sven's substitutions during Saturday's match with Paraguay.
By replacing the wilting Michael Owen with left-winger Stuart Downing and deploying Joe Cole as a withdrawn striker, The Guardian says that Sven 'took his players by surprise, having reconfigured the side in a way that had not been spoken about or worked on during what was an extensive period of experimentation in the games leading up to the tournament.'
While Cole announced in his press conference on Sunday that he was happy to play in the 'hole' behind a figurehead striker, 'It has been noted elsewhere in the England camp that he had not been tried out in this position in the friendlies against Hungary and Jamaica or, indeed, when the players have been working on their formations in training.'
Of equal alarm, claims the newspaper, was the lack of protection offered to the defence by England's tackle-shy midfield.
'Sol Campbell raised the issue after the Jamaica game and Rio Ferdinand brought it up again in Frankfurt on Saturday. It reignites the old argument about whether Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, for all their undoubted qualities, are ideally suited to play alongside one another.'
It is a matter of concern apparently too complex for the England fans in Frankfurt to understand after they disgracefully booed the 82nd minute introduction of Owen Hargreaves to act as a midfield shield in front of the over-worked back-line.
