The changes Gareth Southgate could make against Slovenia: Should Joe Gomez come in at left back? Will he trust Kobbie Mainoo or Adam Wharton to fix England's midfield?... And is it finally time for Anthony Gordon?

England hit a new low in their 1-1 draw with Denmark on Thursday night, producing one of their worst tournament performances in recent memory.

There were alarming signs in England's opening game win against Serbia as the team dropped deep for long periods, and after naming an unchanged starting XI for the clash with Denmark, there were no signs of improvement in Frankfurt.

Despite boasting a front four of Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and captain Harry Kane, England did not click in attack, while their midfield pairing of Declan Rice and Trent Alexander-Arnold never looked like working.

England looked shaky defensively as well, with Gareth Southgate's men consistently struggling to play out from the back. This handed Denmark the initiative and England were somewhat fortunate to escape with a point in the end.

The England boss needs to find the solutions to his problems if the Three Lions are going to go all the way in Germany. Tweaking his line-up for the final group game against Slovenia on Tuesday appears a virtual certainty, and Mail Sport has taken a look at the potential changes Southgate is likely to be considering. 

Gomez or Trippier at left back?

England have a major issue at left back. With Luke Shaw still not back to full fitness, Southgate is having to turn to a naturally right-footed player to fill in for now.

It means England's threat from deep down that flank is virtually non-existent. 

In the opening two games, Kieran Trippier has got the nod to play, but it has become very obvious what his intentions with the ball are every time it comes to him - cut back inside on his right foot and pass the ball backwards or sideways. 

But what is the alternative? Well, it appears to be Joe Gomez. The versatile Liverpool defender came in for the injured Andy Robertson at times last season and gained vital experience at left back.

Although he looks more comfortable at centre back or right back, Gomez proved he could do an adequate job on the left and was widely praised for his performances during a period when Liverpool were plagued with injuries.

He was a little more adventurous with the ball than Trippier has been, and that may be what England need to get more from their left-hand side. Right now, they are not posing any questions of the opposition down that flank, and that has to change.

The end of the Trent experiment  

Southgate has admitted that trying Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield at this Euros is an 'experiment'. He now has conclusive evidence that the Liverpool man is not the answer to England's problems in the middle of the park.

It was hard not to feel sorry for Alexander-Arnold on Thursday night. He didn't appear to know where he should be positioned without the ball and ended up almost standing on the toes of England's centre halves. When his side did get possession back, he had no one to pick out with his trademark long balls.

He was hauled off shortly after half time, and had a look of resignation on his face to suggest he knows he will not be starting in midfield again any time soon.

Southgate must now look elsewhere, and it is time for him to be brave by putting his faith in either Kobbie Mainoo or Adam Wharton.

He has brought on Conor Gallagher as his first substitute in England's first two games and the Chelsea midfielder has delivered workmanlike displays, but the Three Lions need to retain possession better and that is not Gallagher's strength.

Mainoo brings calmness to the midfield and has shown he can handle the big occasion, producing a man of the match display as Manchester United upset Manchester City in the FA Cup final last month.

Wharton has less experience at the highest level, but he has been outstanding since joining Crystal Palace and impressed in England training to earn his place in Southgate's final 26-man squad.

He could be the player to pick up the ball from the backline to start attacks, freeing up Rice to venture a little further forwards. England need much better balance in midfield, and Mainoo or Wharton appear to be the best options to provide this.

Could Bellingham and Foden play in midfield together?  

Southgate is desperate to get Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden into his starting XI. But shunting the latter over to the left wing has harmed England's attacking potential.

Foden wants to operate in a central area, and showed glimpses of what he can do from that position against Denmark - most notably hitting the post with a fierce drive from the edge of the box.

But he has flitted in and out of the first two games, and his place in the team must be in serious jeopardy.

There may be only one more way that Bellingham and Foden play together, and that's if Southgate finally plays them together in midfield.

The England manager has been reluctant to do this, presumably because he believes it does not provide enough defensive cover in front of the back four.

Yet Bellingham was dropping very deep on Thursday anyway, and the No10 position is clearly Foden's best role.

Could Southgate not simply push Bellingham back to play alongside Rice in the double-pivot with the licence to roam forwards on occasions, with Foden moving inside to play as an attacking midfielder?

England are almost certain to qualify from their group after accumulating four points, and the Slovenia game represents something of a 'free hit'. Southgate was willing to experiment with Alexander Arnold. Should he now find out once and for all whether Bellingham and Foden can both thrive in midfield? 

Palmer primed for action

Harry Kane was the only English player to register more goal contributions than Cole Palmer in the 2023-24 season. But the Chelsea playmaker does not feature in Southgate's best XI and is yet to even make an appearance from the bench in Germany.

In fairness to Southgate, it is a little difficult to see where Palmer would slot in. He would ideally want to play on the right or No10 positions, but these roles are currently occupied by Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham.

Saka got an assist in England's opening game and has had some bright moments, while Bellingham scored and was England's best player against Serbia, before he had an off-night in the Denmark draw. 

Southgate has twice plumped for Jarrod Bowen to replace Saka, and his direct running does provide a different threat. Leaving Palmer on the bench seems a massive waste of talent, though.

Tough calls will need to be made if England are going to turn things around, and Southgate may need to consider bringing Palmer into his team to give Saka a breather or play him centrally if Bellingham moves deeper.

Palmer has also previously played on the left for Manchester City, indicating that he could play in any of the three positions behind Kane.

He has not featured there for Chelsea, though, and this could be another example of a player being shoehorned into the team at the cost of the side's balance.

Gordon's time to shine?  

Is Anthony Gordon a better footballer than Phil Foden? Probably not. Is he a better left winger than Foden? That's a different matter altogether.

Gordon flourished at Newcastle last season from the left-hand side, and he is an out-and-out winger.

The 23-year-old likes to take his full back on, but is also not afraid to run in behind and stretch the opposition back line.

That is something England have been missing at this tournament. Everything has been in front of their opponents, with no threat in behind.

Gordon would change that and is playing the best football of his career to date. He ought to be brimming with confidence and chomping at the bit to get on the pitch.

His involvement could also help Harry Kane, who likes to drift into pockets of space and pick out passes to wingers running in behind.

Saka and Foden want the ball to feet, but Gordon offers a little more variety with his attacking play and has earned his chance to shine.