Sven-Goran Eriksson insisted he remains in full command of the England team as he quelled talk of a "players' revolt" ahead of the morale-boosting victory against Switzerland.

Eriksson confirmed he had consulted his four midfielders over which tactics they felt most comfortable with for the vital game in Coimbra.

However, he insisted that, rather than being met by a delegation, he went to his players to find out they were in favour of a flat midfield, rather than a return to the diamond formation.

And while some have portrayed his desire to seek advice as a weakness, Eriksson believes it is a strength of his managerial style.

Either way, with Wayne Rooney starring, the match duly ended in a 3-0 victory, which left England just a point away from the quarter-finals.

Eriksson declared: "I can assure you that I picked the team. I have always felt in charge of the side. I felt it yesterday, the day before yesterday and today as well.

"But I always listen to players as, if you think you know everything about football just because you're a manager, then you are making a big mistake.

"They will always do a very good job for you if they are convinced that is the right way to do it.

"But a players' revolt? It's absolutely not true.

"I began having meetings with my players in 1979 and have done it with all of my teams since then."

Eriksson revealed how he had been debating which system to use, given that the diamond which worked so well with Nicky Butt in the team was not functioning quite as well with the more attack-minded Frank Lampard.

"We tested both systems in our training session and then I decided late on Wednesday evening what to do," he explained.

"In one way, it may have suited us to play a diamond against Switzerland but, in the last session, it did not look very good at all.

"When you are not sure as a manager, you should take in the players and listen to them. You explain, putting all your cards on the table.

"Football is very simple in that way.

"You have to make the strategy as a coach, explain it and make sure the players understand it and accept it.

"At the end, I don't go on to the pitch, it's them."

Those players, apart from possibly Paul Scholes, certainly look more comfortable in a flat midfield and that was the consensus view obtained by Eriksson.

Steven Gerrard said: "Of course, the manager consults us. If he feels he needs to talk to the main players in the team, then he'll pull us to one side and have a chat about it. He's not the kind of manager who just says something and goes with it.

"To be honest, we don't have to go to him.

"He's so close to the players that he comes to us. Even if he is set on a formation, he'll still discuss it with the team to make sure that it is right."

Lampard added: "The manager decides.

"He picks it as he sees it, although he speaks to the senior players and asks what they are more comfortable with.

"I'm more comfortable in a flat back four because I've played it for a long time."

Whatever the exact tactics, the England midfield still need to gel together properly, a point made by watching Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

"For me, the midfield is the big question mark over this team. It's a bold move by Sven and, if it works, England could become a world force," he declared.

"But I have reservations because there is no specialist ball-winner to protect the back four.

"France had the same problem but eventually they found the right defensive balance.

"If England can do that, they will become a very dangerous team."

Time is short to achieve that balance, with Croatia to come on Monday, although England need only a point to reach the quarter-finals.

Eriksson, who played down further fears over Michael Owen's form, admitted England's passing must improve markedly.

"We lost the ball many times in a bad way in the first half, so we must keep it better, especially with the climate here," he said.

After all, he knows those cracks were rather papered over by Rooney's superb display and Bernt Haas' dismissal.

Croatia may, however, be rather less forgiving