Kyle Walker has admitted England had no back-up plan in the summer as defeat to Iceland provided the "lowest moment" of his career.
Walker started the 2-1 defeat that stunned football and led to manager Roy Hodgson's resignation within minutes of their Euro 2016 elimination.
England have since gone through the brief Sam Allardyce era and go into Saturday's World Cup Qualifier against Malta with Gareth Southgate in temporary charge.
And Walker believes the players are already better prepared to alter their approach if things get tough against unfancied opponents at Wembley.
"I just think we don't need to play into their game," the Tottenham full-back said. "I thought probably in the summer, that's what we did and we didn't really have a different plan.
"It was 'we are going to play this way', and if it didn't work, then we didn't really know what to do.
"But I feel for the Malta game we have different dimensions now. We have spoken about it in depth - that if something is not working, we need to go to this plan.
"I think the quality in the dressing room is frightening. And I think as soon as we just start gelling together and being a bit more - Eric Dier said it - streetwise, it will be a lot more beneficial for England and for us as a group of players."
Dier and Walker were among five Spurs players to go to France in the summer, and it took a pep talk from Mauricio Pochettino to lift them on their return to White Hart Lane.
"It was still in the back of my mind when I got back to Tottenham," Walker said. "The gaffer put his arm around us all and we had a little chat. I think it was a good learning curve for us.
"We pulled together as well. We are a very close bunch of lads."