More meaningless wins please Fabio...

Has English football turned into the X-Factor this week?

Firstly Ashley Cole was subjected to the pantomime booing normally only reserved for one of Louie Walsh’s crude put downs made only because the singer in front of him wasn’t a cute Irish boy.

Then Rio and Fabio voted off the WAGS.

Next was the turn of the England fans, who sang totally out of sync with the band during the national anthems against Belarus on Wednesday.

And to top it all off Joe Kinnear revealed a poignant sob story to explain his habit at swearing at reporters.

For a man not wanting to be ridiculed, a 61 year old bloke blaming growing up in Watford for calling Journalists a bunch of f*****rs and c***s is asking a bit much.

Although I don’t want to dwell on Newcastle when England are looking like a team again.

Despite shaky moments during the first half of both games against Kazakhstan and Belarus England showed their class when it mattered.

The excellent Heskey received his well deserved fiftieth cap and definitely deserved a goal to mark his milestone and level of performance.

Although it wouldn’t be the same if he scored would it?

There is no doubt though his presence in the team has helped England and in particular Wayne Rooney become a real threat again.

Despite finally conceding to his impending baldness the vast amount of chest hair that seems to be spouting from Rooney’s neckline makes Ryan Giggs and his famous rug look like that of a little pre-pubescent gimp.

But Rooney’s form has been spectacular, the work rate of England’s number 10 has long been admired for his country but over the last few games the end product has finally come.

He has scored both tremendous and ugly goals in the past two games which at this point makes him as great a threat internationally as U.S foreign policy.

Capello and his men are now once again uniting a nation, bringing people back together to celebrate it’s footballers.

The only people they can’t unite at this point is probably Guy Ritchie and Madonna.

Steven Gerrard looks to be back on top form, Rio Ferdinand has been an excellent stand in captain and Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry have been steady away in the engine room.

But can this record breaking qualifying form continue? Will it? One can only hope so.

Now McClarens circus has finally left town, the WAGS being forced to drink their overpriced champagne elsewhere and Capello clamping down on ego the team can now concentrate on being successful.

We’ve known for the last few years we’ve had the talent, what’s lacking has been the attitude.

Wins mean “nothing” under the new manager until success is achieved, whereas before wins meant we had the right to expect success.

The subtle difference in mentality is one that could prove to be the key to finally unlocking our potential.

So here’s to thirteen more meaningless competitive wins until we lift the trophy in Johannesburg’s Soccer City.