Keith Downing kept a calm demeanour after his side secured their place in the U19 Euro Final with a late victory over Czech Republic.
A last-gasp goal from substitute Lukas Nmecha, set up by fellow replacement Marcus Edwards, settled a tight game in Tbilisi.
And the head coach spoke of the importance of his squad management, as they now turn their attentions to Saturday’s decider against Portugal.
"The longer the competition goes on, the more important it becomes,” he said.
"I think it's a coach's duty over the four games to get a balance to how they all play and we have to think about the offence and defensive side of it.
“We have to consider all eventualities and the welfare of the players. We had an 18-man squad, which is now 17 after [Trevoh] Chalobah went home.
“Everybody has had certain minutes on the pitch apart from Nathan Trott, the goalkeeper, so we try to share it around but obviously with an emphasis on winning as well.
"I know [the semi-final] is a massive game and some players have had to play in all four matches, but we have to strike a balance really to get the best players on, considering their energy levels.
"But with the impact of the substitutes, we do have game-changers.”
Downing had warned his players in the build-up that they would face a stern examination from the Czechs.
And he was quick to pay tribute to England’s opponents, who pushed his side all the way and just seconds away from extra time.
"I have to give massive credit to Czech Republic. They have a well organised unit and they gave us a lot of problems,” added Downing.
"We didn't underestimate them, we knew it would be a difficult game and they gave us one.
"The Portugal game will be tough as well and we have to try and recover as quickly as we possibly can and get ready for a very, very difficult battle against Portugal.”
Saturday's final will kick-off at 5pm BST and will be shown live on Eurosport.
