Roy Hodgson's England: Flawed, lucky, but at least they're fun to watch

England's progress since a pitiful World Cup group-stage exit a year ago was confirmed by Sunday's 3-2 win in Slovenia, which secured their first unbeaten season since 1990-91 and displayed signs of a new attacking intent.

Defeats by Italy and Uruguay and a draw with Costa Rica in Brazil last June were viewed by many England fans as the lowest point in the team's chequered history but six wins from six in Euro 2016 qualifying are beginning to change perceptions - notwithstanding the side's appalling 0-0 draw against Ireland last week.

It is an easy Group E -- second-placed Slovenia trail England by nine points -- and two teams automatically qualify for the expanded 24-team tournament in France, but even coach Roy Hodgson cannot have expected 18 points at this stage.

His joy at fulltime could have been very different if Wayne Rooney had not made it 3-2 in the dying minutes to move one goal behind Bobby Charlton's England record tally of 49.

Tougher tests await and there remain major question marks defensively but England fans are rightly feeling a lot more cheerful.

"We dominated the game totally for long, long periods," Hodgson told ITV.

"Wayne Rooney's performance says a lot of things about him as a man," the England manager said of his captain.

"Just before he took that chance he took a nasty blow from an elbow, which could have decked many a player and led to him losing his discipline. It didn't and he got up.

"He had one or two chances that had gone begging, but when the ball fell to him he still stuck it away with aplomb.

"We can rely on that man. I'd have liked him to get a hat-trick today so all the talk of the record would be finished, but he has plenty of time...

"[Going unbeaten for the season] is a good achievement. That's not been done for over 20 years. The players deserve some credit for that."

Hodgson tried to put a positive spin on his decision to start centre half Phil Jones at right back - a decision he back-tracked when substituting him off after an error-strewn first period, including a poor throw-in which set up Slovenia's opening goal.

In place of Jones the manager brought on midfielder Adam Lallana, with right back Nathaniel Clyne left on the bench and Jordan Henderson filling the space left by Jones.

"Jordan did very well at right back, we were thinking that we would be limiting our options if we replaced Phil Jones with another defender," Hodgson said, claiming that it was an intentional move to keep England on the attack.

"It was harsh on Nathaniel, he doesn't deserve that... but it was the best way to get Lallana on. Luckily both moves worked out well."

Oliver Kay, The Times: "At times on an enjoyable afternoon in Ljubljana, illuminated by a flurry of back-heels and one-twos and a couple of thunderbolts from the left foot of Jack Wilshere, it was possible to experience a rare feeling of warmth while watching England. Only at times, mind, given that they made such hard work of beating such modest opposition, but still it feels like progress... The fervour of the celebrations reflected the nature of England’s victory, in a back-and-forth game, rather than the significance of the goal. What really matters is next summer. Still, at least it could be fun. That would make a change."

Dominic Fifield, The Guardian: "Jack Wilshere had publicly addressed his regrets in the days leading up to this fixture. At The Grove in Watford he had mulled over those ankle injuries which have so often tripped up his progress, his mind drifting from months spent anchored in the treatment room to the times he had been outed, often on social media, with a cigarette in hand. Memories of mistakes on a night out” clearly still grate though performances like this will help them fade. England will go into the summer lull with the Arsenal midfielder’s brilliance seared on the brain. The national team, probably more even than Wilshere’s club side given the number of attack-minded creators lured to the Emirates Stadium by Arsène Wenger, are desperate for the 23-year-old to thrive at this level."

Jeremy Wilson, The Telegraph: "It is a sign of England’s progression since the World Cup that Roy Hodgson now feels he can select his team with only limited reference to what the players are doing for their clubs. Theo Walcott, Nathaniel Clyne, James Milner and Ryan Bertrand must all have wondered what Andros Townsend, Phil Jones, Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs had done recently to advance their cause but Hodgson is noticeably now more concerned by how players have performed for him and fit his system than fluctuations in form. There is risk if that outlook becomes too rigid but it will at least ensure a consistency in selection that England have previously lacked."

Forget the patchy defending. Forget the string of missed chances which could have seen Wayne Rooney knock off Bobby Charlton's record. Forget Phil Jones's... well, just forget Phil Jones. The bottom line for England fans is that this is exactly the sort of game which used to be a tedious chore to watch - a defeat, or a 0-0 draw, which would do the nation no harm but little good, either in terms of development of the squad or in terms of securing a spot in the tournament next summer.

Now, it seems, those underwhelming performances are left for meaningless friendlies, and in 'proper' matches we are instead treated to the sort of entertainment you'd expect of a decent Premier League match: end-to-end moves, some fabulous finishing, cock-ups galore and drama up until the closing moments.

Euro 2016 qualification is now effectively certain - as if it weren't already, of course, but even more so now and we can say for certain that Hodgson will lead England into a major tournament for a third time, becoming the first man since Sven Goran Eriksson a decade ago to do so. Hodgson's first two efforts at the hem delivered, respectively, promise and disappointment. The third seems certain to offer entertainment. No doubt England will go home earlier than they'd like once again, but at least this time it feels like a team capable of doing so with all guns blazing.