I really don't see how you are finding so difficult to understand, or maybe you are just being obtuse, not sure.
Had we not played with 2 defensive midfielders and instead, for example, played one (either Rice or Phillips - it matters not) and Mount and Bellingham (again for example) alongside them, matched up with Italy's 3 in midfield do you think your midfield would have had as much time on the ball and therefore as much possession? That's the point England's whole midfield didn't have to play defence last night had we played a different way.
We are saying, or at least I am, we DIDN'T play to our strengths. Our defence is not our strength. Again, not sure how that is difficult to understand. We have some of the best attacking talent in Euorpe, how is playing defensive playing to our strengths? As I said previous I understand why Southgate did it, to cover for a weaker area of the team, but I personally don't feel that was the best way forward.
I didn't say Italy struggled all the way to the final; I said they struggled to beat Wales, Austria & Belgium - is that not correct either?