Wayne Rooney has revealed that Fabio Capello intimidates him. The aura surrounding the manager demands a certain level of respect from his players, a respect that perhaps did not exist under Sven-Göran Eriksson and certainly didn’t exist under Steve McClaren. But is this new attitude towards the manager the secret behind England’s success in qualification?

Much has been made of the discipline that Capello requires from his players. Many of the new rules have become public knowledge; injuries must be verified by England’s own physios before a player can withdraw from the squad; meals will be eaten as a squad; mobile phones are not permitted at squad gatherings; and the list goes on. The manager has made it clear that they are all there to do a job, not become friends. He refers to the players by their surnames; the days of Steve McClaren talking about ‘Stevie G’ and ‘Wazza’ are long gone. The new atmosphere of professionalism in the England camp has certainly been a positive change, though really it is something that should have already been instilled into the players.

However, to say that all of Capello’s successes have been down to a changing the attitude of the players would be to do the man a disservice. He has changed the way England play radically, they work much harder when not in possession of the ball and demonstrate a real desire to win that has been lacking in recent years. Of course, this all stems from the change in approach brought about by the stern Italian. But there is more to it; whereas in previous years England would play like 11 strangers that had been plonked into a 4-4-2 formation, under Capello there are signs of genuine partnerships building. Lampard and Barry; Johnson and Lennon, Rooney and Heskey; under Capello these players are developing a good understanding of how each other play. The change in tactics has also gone down well, moving Rooney to a deeper position and allowing Gerrard the freedom to roam from the left side of midfield has made England a more dangerous and unpredictable force going forward.

The change in tactics and formation has played a large role in England’s successful qualification campaign. But the players for the most part are the same, so a lot of credit must go to Capello. His strategies on the pitch are working, but perhaps his most important contribution is the change in mind-set that has been cultivated. The new codes of conduct that the players must abide by are having a positive impact on the way that England play. They have retained the high tempo pressing game, but there is more disciple and thought behind it than there was in previous years. Capello will hope that his legacy as England’s manager will be a World Cup win, but if this isn’t achieved, he has still gone a long way towards ensuring the healthy future of the national team.