Looking on the bright side, as Wayne Rooney is prone to doing these days, England have won every away game since the World Cup. The striker's optimism may overlook some questionable performances at home and a World Cup that was more dire than anything that had gone before, but thanks to England's success on the road – and Wales doing them a favour against Montenegro on Friday – the route to Euro 2012 qualification now seems straightforward.

At least it does on the assumption that stuttering home form will not resume against the Welsh, at Wembley, on Tuesday. There seems no reason to fear a nation comfortably beaten in Cardiff last season, yet England did not manage to beat Montenegro at home and morale in the Wales camp can only have been boosted by their latest result. Given England's anaemic Wembley record of late, another anticlimactic disappointment cannot be completely ruled out, though there are at least a couple of reasons for England to be exceptionally cheerful about the events of the past week.

The first is Rooney, not only back playing – his absence because of suspension was one of the reasons England were below par in their last home game against Switzerland – but back as the darling of supporters and team-mates alike. The fans chanted his name during the game in Sofia and, afterwards, a succession of players, from John Terry downwards, swiftly affirmed that, when Rooney is on song at the front of the England team, everything that happens behind becomes that much easier.

Terry did not wish to be drawn into discussing whether Rooney's personal and playing problems during the last World Cup had been a factor in the overall performance level of the England team in South Africa, though one only needs eyes to see that when their attack leader glints with malicious intent and hungrily takes the game to opponents, England are an altogether more purposeful and direct side.

Fabio Capello would rightly bristle at the suggestion that England are a one‑man team, though they unquestionably have one player who can make an enormous difference. If Rooney is back to his most potent, as the evidence from Manchester United, as well as England, seems to suggest, Capello can look forward to qualifying for the next tournament in the sort of style he managed to qualify for the last.

What happens after that is, of course, the burning question, though with the easing out of the erstwhile golden generation now starting to happen, instead of just being talked about, the new England need not lumber themselves with the complete set of negative cliches that applied to the old. This is a different England to the one that struggled through the last World Cup. A new goalkeeper, two back-line debutants in the win in Bulgaria, two new(ish) holding midfielders and new possibilities with Ashley Young and Stewart Downing now established first choices behind a reinvigorated Rooney, even if the relationship between Young and Rooney still needs fine-tuning.

As is the case with Manchester United, who are supplying quite a few of the players, a wind of youthful change is blowing through the England ranks. Capello was asked to make changes, indeed was obliged to make changes, after the debacle against Germany in Bloemfontein and, to his credit, he has. In little more than a year, new personnel and a new sense of purpose have been installed, and, with Jack Wilshere still to come back, old hands such as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are suddenly on the outside looking in.

Selection and formation may change again between now and next summer, assuming England are able to secure qualification for Poland and Ukraine, though enough has changed to cast doubt on whether Capello's players must inevitably run out of steam in tournaments or consistently fluff their lines at Wembley.

No one demonstrates the present feeling that anything is possible better than Chris Smalling, who made a comfortable debut at right-back in Sofia, despite only having been switched to that position by his club this season. "I still see myself as a centre-half really, I feel this is only a temporary change, but if Sir Alex Ferguson says he wants me to play at right-back I am not about to argue," the 21-year-old former Fulham player said. "It was just the same with England. I only found out I was playing as we left the hotel for the game. It was good in a way because there wasn't much time for any nerves to kick in. The hotel was only five minutes from the stadium and it was a case of 'get your boots on, you're playing.'"

If the articulate and impressively relaxed Smalling suffers from nerves, he hides it well. One would never guess either that he was only plucked from non-league football little more than three years ago and is still finding his feet as a Manchester United regular. Discussing his England debut with an almost matter-of-fact air of detached enjoyment, Smalling seems to feel he can fit right in, perhaps because he is among so many of his clubmates.

"I was hoping I'd be in with a shout," he said. "We all feel that if you are good enough to play for Manchester United then you are good enough for England. Having so many United players in the squad can only help when you're making a debut. Ashley Young was in there, with Wazza as well, and they are both in a rich vein of form this season. There is a new breed coming through for England and it's great that players like myself are being given a chance. Ferguson has given all the young lads at United their chance by signing them and playing them early. I think the way we approach games shows we are enjoying the challenge."

Capello did his best to make sure Smalling did not get carried away. "He missed two balls, but it is different when you step up to the national team," the coach said. "When you play with your club you know everything, the movement of your fellow defenders and midfielders, and where to position yourself. When you are new to international football it is not quite the same and the ability of opponents is always high because they are the best players in their country. But I thought the time was right for Smalling and now he understands more what is required."

It is debatable whether Capello would have been quite so keen on new young players such as Smalling, Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck if the path had not been prepared by Ferguson at United, though that is not something England need to worry about. It is a blessing, not a problem.

"I didn't expect England to come along so quickly," Smalling admitted. "My aim for the season was to play as many games as possible for United and to take it from there. I used to watch games like this at home on TV. Playing for England in a hostile atmosphere was something I could only dream of until recently." Plenty to look forward to then, this week and next summer, as long as no one goes and spoils it all by mentioning a new golden generation.

"Only time will tell about that," Smalling said, with wisdom beyond his years. "If the manager keeps picking us and we keep producing results, then who knows where it might lead? The finals still seem a long way off. I haven't given it much thought because I am always being told to just concentrate on the next game. That's exactly what I plan to do."