Was it really 'same old' England tonight?

A 1-0 win this evening against a spirited Wales side means England now only need one point in their final qualifying game away in Montenegro next month. But was it a case of same old England making it a more difficult fixture than it should have been.

To a certain extent the answer is a straightforward yes. Fabio Capello’s side wasted the ball in some good areas, never got enough bodies forward when they found themselves in excellent positions in the final part of the field, and if you include Robert Earnshaw’s shocking miss ten minutes from time then we may have a completely different account of the game.

The truth though if you brush aside these minor errors aside is that England were never going to lose this game tonight against a Welsh side that has definitely improved under Gary Speed.

Despite being sloppy with the ball at times, the Three Lions had the lion’s share of possession, finishing the game with a total of 60%. England had eleven shots at goal although only one on target, while the visitors managed no shots on target, showing just how much England dominated.

I am aware that many people will disagree with this blog and say that England did make it harder than it should be, my response to them people would be simple. Qualification was Capello’s aim this time last year and we are on course to do that.

Agreed performances will have to improve for the Championships but let’s all be grateful we should at least make it this time…….We all remember the last Euro’s don’t we, oh hang on we weren't  there.

Let me know what you think? Did England show enough tonight to impress you or do you still think they will struggle to be on the plane to Poland and Ukraine next year?