Eight days removed from three corners of an England midfield diamond nervously shuffling crab-like behind an over-exuberant Wayne Rooney against Portugal, Roy Hodgson scratched around in his notepad and came up with a 4-3-3.
Or a 4-1-2-2-1, depending on how confusedly his side was moving around at that moment.
For the most part, the trio of Rooney, Eric Dier and Dele Alli operated narrowly behind an expansive three of Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Russia, and once again England lacked finish in a squad that is littered with attacking talent.
Hodgson's squad selection suggests that he is more aware of the threat England has going forward than most. Just three centre-backs were selected rather than the usual four to free up room for another striker, in this case the precocious Marcus Rashford. Dier is also left as the sole deep-lying midfielder in a 23-man roster that could've called upon Danny Drinkwater or Mark Noble as backup. Instead, the enterprising yet oft-injured Jack Wilshere was selected after playing a mere 141 Premier League minutes in 2015-16.
Some serious defensive-minded players are left watching the tournament on television to accommodate forward-thinking assets. But still, Hodgson hasn't devised a system to field his best players, even though his side qualified for Euro 2016 last September.
Going on what they have achieved over the past 10 months, this England team should be built around Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Tottenham Hotspur duo Kane and Alli. A remarkable triumvirate brimming with confidence and displaying a work rate that has been lacking recent generations of the national side.
In reserve, a fit Daniel Sturridge is one of the most lethal forwards in the Premier League, while Rashford, a largely unknown quantity, is one of undoubted ability.
Somewhat at odds with his squad selection, Alli and Rooney were slotted further back. The latter performed well with his sweeping balls to the flanks, and so did the former when he shook free of the shackles of being the fourth-most advanced member of the team. Two forward-thinking players, though, were charged with defensive responsibilities.
The most peculiar selection was Sterling. His toils down the left flank evoke age-old issues that saw players like Alan Thompson and Stewart Downing seen as options in that position, and the Manchester City flop's ineptitude at retaining possession and producing an end product make him a severe hindrance. Right now, he's a luxury off the bench and no more.
The Three Lions qualified for Euro 2016 with three matches to spare, providing a precious advantage over many rivals as Hodgson had time to experiment with new systems and selections. This should have been the time to test Rooney deeper in the lineup, rather than at the finals themselves. It certainly wasn't an occasion to start Fabian Delph, Jonjo Shelvey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - all of whom were far from the final cut.
This was a blinding oversight by Hodgson, who has shown an utter lack of organisation in not knowing his best team by now. His indecision in attempting to find a way to best deploy his blessed attacking ranks is already leaving his chances of fronting England's 2018 World Cup bid looking rather slim.
