Why England rout of Andorra starts to set us dreaming of the World Cup

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Goals, records, wins and an England team we are learning to love again.

More importantly, a team that is starting to believe, to look the part, to win with a swagger but also with humility.

And while the best must be yet to come, Fabio Capello has already transformed the Three Lions in a manner nobody could really have envisaged, taking England to the brink of the World Cup Finals with three matches still to play.

Yet as Capello's players rewarded the near-60,000 fans who beat the Tube strike with a lap of tribute as much as honour, it was hard to banish the first real thoughts of what might happen when the biggest show in earth kicks off in exactly 12 months time.

It is too early to get carried away and Capello surely will not. After all, if we're honest, Andorra are the side that disprove the notion there are no easy games in international football, scarcely more than thuggish ale-house brawlers.

The six England scored, courtesy of doubles from Wayne Rooney and his replacement Jermain Defoe, with one each claimed by Frank Lampard and Peter Crouch, could easily have been doubled or more, so dreadful were the Pyrennean part-timers.

At times it was embarrassing, as David Beckham strolled through the midfield, Glen Johnson looked the equal of any of the world's more vaunted right-backs, Ashley Young finally played like a man who could cope with the weight of international expectations.

But if anybody had predicted last August, after Joe Cole had rescued a draw against the Czech Republic, that England would have finished the season with seven qualifying wins out of seven, scoring 26 goals in the process, their sanity might have been questioned.

Had there been a competition to pick Capello's first choice right-side combination, maybe only the Italian himself would have suggested Glen Johnson and Theo Walcott.

And while we all knew that Rooney was the jewel in the crown of English football, did we really believe anybody would unlock his scoring potential like Capello has? That is what Capello has done, altering the mindset of his squad, changing the expectations of the nation, making England a real team.

Of course, there are still improvements required, errors to be ironed out, not least the impatience that afflicted them - and saw a stern-faced Capello demanding better - after Rooney nodded home the early opener.

To be fair, the United ace - the first England player to score 10 in a season since Gary Lineker 18 years ago - could have had three by then, although he has now tied Tommy Taylor's 50-year-old record for a qualifying campaign.

But it is hard to be totally right when the only real pressure is avoiding injury against a side born to maim and when England did what they are good at - much of which came through Johnson - they looked a class act.

Johnson has had his doubters - Jose Mourinho let him go not once, but twice - and was awful in Kazakhstan on Saturday.

Last night, though, he was terrific, having a hand in England's first four and creating at least as many chances again.

After picking out Rooney - who had previously been thwarted by keeper Koldo Alvarez and hit the post - for the first, it was a delightful push forward that allowed Theo Walcott to set up Lampard's swept second.

And before the break, came the best of the lot, Johnson again delivering and Rooney timing his angled run perfectly to volley home his 24th England goal, equalling Sir Geoff Hurst in 12th spot on the all-time list.

Had Rooney stayed on - Capello told him and Steven Gerrard to "start your holidays" 45 minutes early - he could have jumped into the top 10 but in their absences Young and Defoe took their chances to shine.

Young linked terrifically with Ashley Cole and a series of chances came and went before Johnson picked out Defoe to head home 17 minutes from time.

The floodgates opened, Defoe converting when Koldo could not hold Beckham's free-kick, before his blocked effort fell for Crouch to end 80 minutes of personal frustration with an easy finish.

Even Capello cracked a smile on the bench, although knows this is where the real work starts. In a year's time, we will see the truth. For now, we can just imagine. Roll on next June. Roll on South Africa. Roll on the world?

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