Capello guided a squad largely composed of the same players that underperformed under his predecessors to early World Cup qualification with Wednesday's 5-1 win over Croatia.
The former AC Milan and Real Madrid manager says they have simply responded to his motivational skills rather than embraced any revolutionary new concepts on the field.
"When I agreed to become England manager, I was sure that these players were really good," Capello said on Thursday.
"I could not understand why a player for the national side was not the same as when he plays for his club.
"So I prepared to be psychological with them and they follow a lot and they change completely." With the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole regularly excelling in the Champions League, the task should have been simple.
But it was beyond Steve McClaren, who was fired after home and away losses to Croatia, and, in the latter stages of his five years in charge, Sven-Goran Eriksson.
"I have my system of work," said Capello, who has won domestic league titles with every club he has managed.
"The players follow me a lot. I spoke with them at training, at the meetings and they understand what I ask of them always.
"We improve game after game. I think the future will be better." The performances have changed but the country's newspapers reacted predictably, confidently proclaiming the team a potential World Cup winner.
"South Africa Here We Come," said The Mirror; "We Can Win It," said The Express.
The Sun tabloid put England's qualification on its front page, with a picture of scorer Steve Gerrard beneath a banner listing South Africa's notable citizens, attractions and locations.
It referred to Caster Semenya, the country's 800-metre world champion whose muscular build and deep voice led to unproven doubts over her gender, as "that girl runner who looks like a bloke".
But the optimism, if not the tone, seems justified.
Two years after missing out on the European Championship, England is one of only three sides from the continent to have a perfect World Cup qualifying record and has struck 31 goals in eight matches - more than any other nation.
Nine of those came against Croatia, the team that edged it to a place at last year's European Championship and which is currently second in the Group 6 standings.
And Wayne Rooney's ninth Group 6 goal edged him past the previous record for England in a qualifying campaign, set 52 years ago by Manchester United's Tommy Taylor.
The mood in the Croatian press could barely be more different after the national side's worst ever loss.
"Last night, a Croatian fan must have been sad, he should have been ashamed," read a column in leading daily Vecernji.
"Humiliated" flashed the Sportske Novosti daily on its cover. Vecernji list declared: "What a disgrace!" and Jutarnji list daily said Croatia was "crushed and humiliated".
While England is on a high, Croatia's fortunes may be waning.
The country stunned the football world by finishing third at the 1998 World Cup in France but, with that generation of players long retired, now must beat Kazakhstan next month and hope that England defeats Ukraine to finish second and qualify for a playoff.
