Harry Kane leaves it late as England limp towards Russian World Cup 2018

England 1 Slovenia 0: The Three Lions will need to improve massively ahead of next summer

Kane scored late on to secure the win (Reuters)

A qualified success, in every sense of the phrase. England eventually completed the foregone conclusion of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup from the most forgiving of groups, but only after an underwhelming 1-0 draw over Slovenia that made the true test of this night staying alert rather than actually staying on course for Russia.

Harry Kane, as ever, stayed focused enough to deliver the crucial finish that also delivers England to football's greatest stage for the 15th time.

The celebrations were naturally enjoyed, but with a certain restraint, because it was impossible to escape the feeling that this English side is going to endure some difficult moments when they eventually get to Russia. There were as many questions as cheers from this, like what is the overall plan and identity with this team?

Given that England were always going to qualify, and that this was then a relatively pressure-free occasion against an eminently beatable side, that’s what this should have been about; about having the platform to show what they’re capable of, of offering the kind of identifying display to go with the feat.

It wasn't that, but was job done, and that in itself summed up the night: a feat that was endured rather than enjoyed.

Slovenia started the game determined to ensure this wasn’t going to be a qualification-fired carnival for England, but then some of the turgid football offered by Southgate’s side did a solid job of that too.

It was so disconcerting. This was a match to get England to the sport’s great festival, something that had previously happened just 14 times in history and couldn’t be taken for granted as recently as the mid-90s, but there were so many spells when it was so subdued; so dull; when all of this felt like a tedious obligation rather than a match for one of the most prestigious prizes in international football. It should have crackled, but then we've long since learned to not expect that.

Slovenia’s Josip Ilicic, for his part, did crackle. He was at the centre of a lot of what his side did well in the opening exchanges, something that was made easier by how easy it was to get through the centre of that much-discussed midfield.

It could have been 1-0 to the visitors after just 20 minutes, too, when Ilicic clipped a glorious ball through between John Stones and Gary Cahill. With the England box having opened up to an amazing degree, though, Roman Bezjak tried a scissors-kick and amazingly failed to make any kind of meaningful contact.

It was telling that, by half-time, that shambolic effort was was less surprising than the fact England had yet to put together any kind of meaningful attacking move.

It was all so slow, and something that is worth dwelling on - given that this awful and eventless first half gave you plenty of scope to do that. Despite the eternal debate over England’s exact ability in comparison to the world’s finest international sides, there is a lot of technical quality and pace among the squad’s current forwards. There is the foundation of a fluent attack there. It is thereby all the more frustrating that we never see those qualities at all.

England struggled to break Slovenia down (Getty)

Much like under Hodgson, it so often seems as if the attackers are set along fixed tram lines, rather than being afforded the kind of system that allows them to move and interchange at pace in the way they should.

It doesn’t help that there is no real midfield controller to unlock such fluency and pace with passing, it must be said, but it still shouldn’t be so dreary.

The best they had to offer out of a first half that you would normally say is one of the worst Wembley has seen but instead fits a depressing pattern was one Jan Oblak save from a Jordan Henderson snap-shot.

It was going to take a bit more to beat the brilliant Atletico Madrid goalkeeper, and a lot more to make this any way lively.

Ilicic was again looking to offer it all by himself, making him the best thing to watch about this match, and his creativity almost ended up causing a moment of slight panic for England. Working his way through just after half-time, the Atalanta attacker played another perceptive pass that ended with Joe Hart just about holding onto the ball in the box.

It was still Slovenia looking the more dangerous, the more likelier to score, leading to moments when Eric Dier had to lash the ball away from his own area.

Oxlade-Chamberlain takes out his frustrations (Getty)

Marcus Rashford was one of the few bright points for England, but that in itself shed more light on the disappearing displays of so many of the other forwards. Raheem Sterling at least came to life on the hour with a thrusting run forward to feed, of course, the blistering Rashford. The United forward lifted it over Oblak, but Miha Mevija had got back to pummel it away.

There was a similarly impressive intervention from Bostjan Cesar moments later to deflect away a Sterling shot destined for the corner.

It said so much that Southgate was making what seemed defensive substitutions towards the end of the game, looking to hang on for a draw. Kane, naturally, had other ideas. In stoppage time, he finally got the party - such as it was - started with a fine finish from Walkers's cross.

England are there, but still someway short of the true level required. Southgate's real work starts now.