When Fabio Capello took over as England manager, many people thought that another foreign manager would bring another repeat of Sven Goran Eriksson’s reign - much promise but no final product. Yet the victories against Andorra and Kazakhstan saw England maintain their 100% qualifying record and head Group Six table with the best figures of all the European teams.

Ten goals without reply - four in Almaty and a further six at Wembley - may seem the minimum requirement against two of the lesser fancied teams to reach South Africa 2010 but with memories of games against those so-called underdogs still haunting some England players, the apparently inevitable progression towards the World Cup finals cannot be simply devalued as an easy passage. You beat what is in front of you and England are doing that.

Two goals in each half in Kazakhstan from Barry, Heskey, Rooney and a Lampard penalty saw England safely home in a tie typical of the type that has undone the Three Lions in the past. This set a precedent that was expected to be delivered in full against group whipping boys Andorra. Wayne Rooney’s early opener did not immediately open the flood gates but when Lampard added a second and Rooney helped himself to a second - England’s third - with a header, the points were safe. Rooney’s half-time withdrawal probably disappointed the Manchester United striker who may have been looking towards his first international hat-trick but Jermain Defoe helped himself to a brace and Peter Crouch toe-poked in a deserved goal to make it six.

England are all but on the plane to South Africa. The trick now for Capello is to turn successful qualification campaign in a successful finals.