The hour had passed and although his experimental England team was getting closer, he wanted to introduce the big gun, his captain Harry Kane, from the bench - plus four others including James Maddison and Jack Grealish.
Kane had taken off his tracksuit but there would be one last action because the VAR had spotted something amiss inside the Bosnia and Herzegovina box as they defended a corner. It soon became apparent that the defender Benjamin Tahirovic had a hold of Ezri Konsa's shirt. It was a clear penalty and Kane had to be licking his lips at the prospect of getting on to take it for his 63rd England goal.
Instead, he was held back and the responsibility fell to a player at the other end of the international experience spectrum - Cole Palmer, on the occasion of his full debut. Palmer is famously cold from the spot and he was never going to pass up this one, his first England goal a special moment.
Southgate's team had flattered to deceive in the first half, save for a few flashes from another full debutant, Eberechi Eze, plus a few more by Palmer. The penalty settled them, liberated them ahead of the Euro 2024 kick-off against Serbia on Sunday week.
There would be further tonics.
Trent Alexander-Arnold had been moved from the right central midfield role to right-back after the mass substitutions but how he affected the game from there. One long diagonal over to Grealish took the breath and almost saw Maddison score but not as much as Alexander-Arnold's volley for 2-0, fizzed into the far corner with glorious nonchalance from a tight angle. It was Grealish with the floated assist, a major boost for him.
Esta historia es de la edición June 04, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 04, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Austria everything England are not...and never have been
Why should there be surprise at Southgate’s confused team when there is no culture or coaching school to learn from
England spun out and outclassed by ruthless India
It was a scene witnessed on countless Test tours to the subcontinent but one played out in the semi-final of the men's T20 World Cup in tropical Guyana.
Football's footprint Uefa trumpets its green ambitions but opts to ignore elephant in the room
Didier Deschamps wasn't amused. Les Bleus had fought hard to see off an excellent Austria side in the evening game and needed to rest.
Coach, physio ...manicurist? Elite tennis is now 'a travelling circus'
The rise of huge entourages for top players means even Wimbledon is struggling to make space for everyone
Boeing media briefing on door blowout 'violated rules'
Boeing has been sanctioned by the top US accident investigator for having \"blatantly violated\" regulations by revealing private information and speculating about what caused January's cabin panel blowout on a brand new Alaska Airlines plane.
Bolivia's army and navy chiefs held after apparently bungled military coup attempt
The former heads of Bolivia's army and navy are among a dozen people arrested for their alleged roles in a seemingly bungled military coup designed to topple the South American country's leftwing president, Luis Arce.
Le Pen: we will win majority and take military decisions over war in Ukraine
Marine Le Pen has said she expects her far-right National Rally (RN) party to win an absolute majority in France's general election, form a government and take over at least some defence and armed forces decisionmaking - including on Ukraine.
High levels of harmful bacteria found in river at Henley before regatta
Harmful E coli bacteria have been found at high levels at Henley, where elite rowers are to compete in an international regatta next week.
'Look at the state of the NHS' Junior doctors on the picket line
'Im itching to get back to work, to get back to the grindstone,\" says Matthew Alexander, a junior radiology doctor. \"Nobody wants to be here, nobody wants to be on strike.\"
Roy wins PEN prize while under threat of Indian prosecution
The Indian author Arundhati Roy has been awarded the PEN Pinter prize two weeks after Indian authorities granted permission to prosecute the writer over comments she made about Kashmir 14 years ago.