A much-improved second-half performance saw England cruise to a 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in their first Euro 2024 warm-up game at St James’ Park.
An England line-up that was likely much different to the one which will take to the field against Serbia in their Euro 2024 opener in 13 days’ time struggled to create against new Bosnia boss Sergej Barbarez’s defensive line-up before half-time.
Eberechi Eze and Cole Palmer had been two of few bright spots for Gareth Southgate to that point, but the Three Lions re-emerged from the dressing room energised – and eventually put their opponents to the sword.
Palmer netted a deserved opener, his first in England colours, from the spot on the hour mark after VAR noticed a shirt pull on Ezri Konsa in the area, before Trent Alexander-Arnold scored an exquisite second with a cushioned volley into the far corner.
Harry Kane, who came on moments after Palmer’s opener, added a late third with a typical poacher’s finish, celebrating his 90th England cap by poking home from a corner to give the hosts a margin of victory which slightly flattered their performance.
After the game, Southgate admitted the performance of some players had given him a “selection headache” ahead of Friday’s deadline to pick his final 26-man squad.
“That’s a good thing,” he told Channel 4. “I’d rather have good performances that make you think rather than poor performances. There were lots of individual things I was pleased with.”
In his post-match press conference, he later added: “We’re still discussing [the final squad] as a staff. It’s a decision that we understand the significance of for all of the players, so we’re giving it the respect it deserves to make fair, right decisions.
“Of course, it’s always going to be subjective, and we’ve got to balance what we need in every area of the pitch as well.
That’s the added complication, it’s not just getting the best individuals in, there’s a positional element to it too.
“We’ve got really good options, and we’ve come through tonight without any physical issues which was really important.”
