England manager Gareth Southgate has insisted that the 3-4-3 formation he used in their 1-0 defeat to Germany was a good fit for the team.

The Three Lions coach praised his players for their adaptability and was quick to stress the importance of experimenting with new systems.

"The players carried it really well and it suited the players. We don't like losing but it's important to learn something and try new things," Southgate told Sky Sports News.

"It's a great option to have and a lot of the players are playing it at their clubs.

"We maximised the time we had and we have some very intelligent footballers in there. There were some great performances but we lost to a fairytale goal."

England lost the international friendly thanks to a 69th-minute strike by Lukas Podolski in his 130th and final international match.

Written by
Mark Langshaw