Fabio Capello enjoyed a winning start to his England reign in a match which will provide the new manager with confidence - but some concern too - for the future.
Goals from Jermaine Jenas and substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips, either side of a strike from Eren Derdiyok, secured a victory which was acceptable but by no means overwhelming.
The Italian will have been happy with many of England's attacking moves, but disappointed at some of the traits which have bedevilled the side for generations - specifically poor technique and mediocre passing in the first half.
The defending was generally promising, though Capello will have been tearing his hair out at the ease with which Switzerland found a way through to equalise.
The match had started uncomfortably for England, who looked nervous, but perhaps Capello had told the players that Rome was not built in a day because their bravura, so dented by that trauma against Croatia, gradually returned until by the second half they looked a different team.
Before Jenas scored in the 40th minute though, Capello had to endure the first boos of his era as the crowd became frustrated by England's seeming inability to find the right gear, characterised by Steven Gerrard being robbed on the edge of his own box by Tranquillo Barnetta.
The Swiss midfielder shot straight at David James from a narrow angle and Gerrard's blushes were spared.
In the opening clashes, Switzerland were more fluent while England, banned from wearing flip-flops in the training camp, appeared to be wearing them at Wembley.
Slowly, patiently though - in the Italian way perhaps - England started to probe.
Wayne Rooney swooped in for England's first chance but Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio was able to block, then he followed that up with an unexpected flick past the post.
After a couple more scares for England courtesy of Mario Eggiman and Daniel Gygax, David Bentley and Joe Cole - who with Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand was one of only three survivors from the starting XI against Croatia - began to really hurt the opposition.
First Bentley found a killer pass to release Jenas, but he waited a vital second before trying to centre to Cole and Benaglio swooped to claim.
Then the Blackburn midfielder tried an audacious long-range chip which drifted only just wide, and the "There's only one David Beckham" chants were suddenly stifled.
Then, finally, Cole's trickery paid off as he left Stephan Lichtsteiner on his backside before rolling the ball across for Jenas to pass it into the net for his first England goal.
Visibly buoyed by that, England began the second half in rampant fashion as Rooney twice came close and Jenas forced a fingertip save from Benaglio.
Capello would have winced however at the ease with which Switzerland equalised. A neat passing move saw substitute Derdiyok fire a first-time shot with his left foot low into the corner of the net.
England's back four will have hoped the speed with which they retook the lead saved them from a rollicking.
Peter Crouch, on as as sub, flicked on, Gerrard surged into the box in trademark style and picked out Wright-Phillips for a finish which was even easier than Jenas'.
Rooney, whose all-round performance deserved a goal, unleashed a thunderbolt from 20 yards which flew just wide. The Manchester United striker continued to torment the Swiss defence, but could just not find the target.
In the end, it did not matter. It was job done, but not an Italian job. Perhaps that is yet to come.
Teams:
England: James, Brown, Ferdinand, Upson, Ashley Cole (Bridge 73), Bentley, Jenas (Wright-Phillips 57), Gerrard, Barry (Hargreaves 73), Joe Cole (Crouch 57), Rooney (Young 87).
Subs Not Used: Carson, Richards, Lescott, Woodgate, Owen,
Defoe, Kirkland.
Goals: Jenas 40, Wright-Phillips 62.
Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner (Behrami 46), Senderos (Grichting 55), Eggiman, Spycher, Inler, Gelson (Huggel 84), Barnetta, Yakin (Margairaz 63), Gygax (Vonlanthen 46), Nkufo (Derdiyok 46).
Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Coltorti, Ziegler.
Goals: Derdiyok 58.
Att: 86,857
Ref: Felix Brych (Germany).
