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While Fabio Capello will have secured his first main objective in qualifying for next summer's World Cup finals with victory against Croatia on Wednesday evening, perhaps equally as impressive is the transformation in self-belief that has come with it.
Slaven Bilic's last visit to Wembley brought about a nadir in English football that burst the bubble of the so-called Golden Generation' and finally starved the life out of Steve McClaren's disasterous tenure.
The feeling in the air that night was a mixture of disappointment and anger but, more than that, a resentment lingered from supporters paying top dollar to watch a supremely talented group of players fail so dramatically to perform at a level regularly seen in the Premier League.
Confidence was shattered and not even McClaren's England branded umbrella failed to shield him from the vitriol emanating from of the stands.
It was against this backdrop that Fabio Capello took charge, possibly grateful that the wreckage of McClaren's reign helped largely remove him from the debate of another foreign manager securing the England job.
Seven successive World Cup qualifying victories later and Wembley has been restored to a place of hope and buoyancy.
Even Bilic's somewhat cheeky utterance that England's players could prove distracted by memories of that humiliating 3-2 defeat in November 2007 seem lost among the swath of cautious optimism swirling through Capello's camp at present.
“With England you will always have huge pride in wearing the shirt but there were times when we were very low — we all felt that and were lacking confidence playing for England as a group,” admitted Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, one of several players who suffered at the hands of England's boo-boys.”
He added today: “We weren't performing for England as we were for our teams. That became a weight on our shoulders but we have lifted that and as a team you feel that when you come to the ground now.
“Even in the general public there is a real uplift from where we were a couple of years ago and it is certainly a nicer place to be than where we were.
“It was the lowest moment of my international career. We have been knocked out in the quarter-finals of European Championships or World Cups but to not actually get there when we are supposed to, in front of our home fans, was a horrible night. We all remember the feeling in the dressing room and the weeks afterwards.
“We carried it around with us on our shoulders for a long time during a summer of watching football and not being there to play. It scars you as a player but the only thing to do is to come back more positively as a player.
“The reaction we have shown since then has been a great thing and hopefully we won't go as low as that again.”
David Beckham may not have always enjoyed the most constructive of relationships with Capello, but is in little doubt the coach provided the catalyst for England's change in fortunes.
Beckham fell out of favour under Capello at Real Madrid — a situation that made the former Manchester United star more susceptible to the financial lure of Major League Soccer — but believes the 63-year-old's impact cannot be underestimated and dismisses claims by Bilic that the team have lost some of their Englishness'.
“We might have an Italian manager but he has got an English mentality, believe me, and so have every one of his staff,” said Beckham.
“These players are as English as they come. They have got that English passion and they will fight until they win. That's what we need. We are lucky to have it in the management staff and in every one of the players.
“What Fabio Capello has brought back into this squad and into the nation is the belief.
“After the last qualifying campaign where we didn't qualify, the belief and the trust went from the fans. That hurt the players more than anything.”
Beckham was England's man of the match in McClaren's final game but still remembers the pain of defeat. “I have had lower moments in an England shirt — I am sure I don't have to say which ones. But when you lose a game like that that means so much to everybody, it hits you hard.
“Everyone was upset in the changing room afterwards and you are depressed for a few months but it is about getting over that.
“I think we have done that as a team and a nation. I think that we have the trust back with the fans again and we needed that because we always have such great support whenever we play for England.
“We are a lot more confident now. Form-wise, we can't get any better with the way players are playing for their clubs and training here.
“We still know that there is a big job to be done but the World Cup is the incentive.”
Reader views (9)
Just do the numbers, look at the FIFA World rankings and see that England currently sit seven, while Croatia are nine.
The Netherlands are three, and would have been beaten at home by England if not for two poor defensive mistakes, but England still drew.
England play at home tomorrow and have already beaten Croatia away 4-1 so any talk of a game two years ago before the current manager is irrelevant.
England will win comfortably based on the above, will then have won all their qualifying matches for the first time and can look forward to South Africa with confidence.
- Manny Goldstein, London, England
They are absolute rubbish and will be murdered by most of the main European sides. No passion, no urgency. The talent may be there but still no direction.
Hesky?
- James Town, Braintree UK
Stephen Rothbart, Prague Czech Republic
The pointless friendly against Croatia is actually a very important world cup qualifier!!
- Jamie, essex
A meaningless result in a meaningless friendly and it is all doom and gloom. Must say that whilst Johnson may not be the best defensively, he causes problems going forward, whci should not be discounted. For the most part both Green & Upson are solid defensively and both in fine form for their club. Be fair, there are few better shot stoppers than Green at the moment. Lets offer support rather and look to the positive.
- Andrew Barclay, Coconut Creek, FL, USA
Is it me or does England like to play football by passing around in their own half majority of the times backwards and then loof the ball up front and lose possesion...It is boring boring boring....playing Spain a couple of months ago taught us a lesson on how to really play international football of which the majority of our players could never possess such imagination, courage and ability....
- Dac - Ealing, London
As a Chelsea supporter I was absolutely delighted when Johnson signed for Liverpool! He has not got what you want from a defender when the pressure is on, with total concentration, being a minimum requirement. He never had it at Chelsea, he has'nt got it at Liverpool, and, if he has not got it by now, he never will! Certainly looks the part, but still making the same old mistakes! I wish him a long career with Liverpool (or perhaps MU should take a chance & put SAF renowned magic touch to the test!)for totally selfish reasons. For England? a luxury we certainly cannot afford!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
Maybe we should stick Heskey at the back ... he's never going to score at either end.
- Paul, London
Capello needs a head-check (or new specs) if he really thinks that Glen Johnson is "one of the best right backs in the world".
- Ted, London
Premier League players play way too much football. It must be hard to keep motivated, especially for a pointless friendly with Croatia coming up mid-week. Given the numbers of foreign players in the Premier league, the relentless pressure to milk the players for every dime with useless fixtures, it's a wonder that England can put together any match-fit, motivated team to take on the best of the world's teams.
All credit to Capello for getting any performance out of this bunch. REal Madrid were stupid to fire him.
- Stephen Rothbart, Prague Czech Republic
