Wayne Rooney has five goals in his past three matches with the English national team. AP The Limey's Mailbag Keep the banter flowing to The Limey. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

In these times of financial doom and gloom, which has led some naysayers to predict a meltdown for some EPL clubs (more on that later), the team that was at the bottom of our Christmas card list less than a year ago has brought tidings of joy to the English footballing public. The Three Lions have got their roar back and resemble a team that can play football again!

With wins in its first four matches, England is off to its best ever start to a World Cup qualification campaign. Everything suddenly seems to be going right for Signor Fabio Capello (or Mr. Hair in the Queen's English) at the moment. And what a fine head of hair.

"I am honored to be involved in a team that's now doing so well and that's playing some great football," said David Beckham ... and we're pretty sure he's not talking about the Galaxy.

Wayne Rooney's words emphasize the huge turnaround in confidence in the England squad. "I don't see any reason why we can't win all the qualifiers now," he said.

So what has Don Fabio done to turnaround this team of obviously talented players who failed so miserably under the previous regime? There have been no wholesale change in personnel. Rather, Capello has worked with the same players, and tinkered with positions and formations to establish his best team.

There seemed to be little improvement until a 4-1 win against Croatia in Zagreb, England's finest hour since it beat Germany 5-1 in Munich in the early days of Sven-Göran Eriksson's era. That 4-1 victory allowed Team Limey to brush up on our German on numerous occasions, serenading friendly (and some not so friendly) unsuspecting German's with a chorus of "funf-eins".

The win against Croatia was followed by last Saturday's 5-1 win over Kazakhstan, then Wednesday night's 3-1 victory in Belarus. England is in an enviably strong position, five points clear at the top of group 6, having already played two of their most difficult fixtures (away against Croatia and Belarus).

Capello's transformation has been encapsulated in the performances of three players: Theo Walcott, Emile Heskey and Rooney.

Walcott's burgeoning potential has been harnessed by the Italian, cementing Beckham's place on the subs bench. On the other hand, Heskey (yes the Emile Heskey famed for being the butt of many a Limey columns' lame gags) has established his role in the team as the big target man leading the attacking line, and the foil for the internationally reborn Rooney.

Rooney's performances in the past two England games, particularly against Belarus, have confirmed that his best position is as a central striker alongside a second attacker, and not in the wide or lone striker roles he's been forced to play for club and country in the last two seasons. Rooney had scored only twice in four years of international competition, but has now scored five in the last three matches.

Although he may appear beyond his years with his new first-grade all-over cut, Rooney reckons he's in the form of his life. "I think it's probably the best I've ever played for England to be honest," he said. "I'm enjoying my football; I'm getting on the ball, scoring goals, making goals."

Positive results in the international footballing arena for the England national team has temporarily kept our minds off the financial meltdown going on around us. A meltdown that some are saying could see some EPL clubs go out of existence. Lord Triesman, chairman of the English FA, says clubs, with a collective debt of $6 billion, are playing a risky game in the current climate. Triesman conveniently failed to mention the $0.8 billion of debt his own organization is in thanks to the new Wembley stadium.

The reality of the debt that's burdening EPL clubs is that nearly two-thirds of the $6 billion debt is owed by the 'Big Four'. As long as Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United maintain Champions League qualification, their debts should be serviceable by the cash flows it brings in. The biggest income revenue stream for the EPL clubs is from television, and we reckon the desire to watch football on TV won't be abated by a drop in disposable income. This and the EPL's ever expanding global brand should see a sustained income from broadcasting.

However, the one club that appears to be in biggest danger is West Ham. They've been hit by a double financial whammy in the last few weeks, and a third could yet strike. Strike one: the club's shirt sponsor XL went bust, leaving the Hammers $10 million out of pocket. Strike two: the club's owner, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, has a significant stake in Landsbanki, the Icelandic bank he was chairman of until the Icelandic government took control of it, claiming the shares of the failing company. Strike three looms on the horizon in the shape of the Carlos Tevez affair, which could leave West Ham with a $60 million claim from Sheffield United, who insists they wouldn't have been relegated from the EPL in 2007 had Tevez not been playing for the Hammers.

Letters

After the goal that wasn't a goal in the Watford-Reading Championship match, we asked for your views on whether you'd like to see instant replay in the EPL to assist in contentious decision making. You're all largely in favor of it in some shape or form.

Chris from Redondo Beach, Calif., reckons it's a great idea that hasn't harmed either the NFL or NBA: "There are most likely on average one reviewable call per game in the Premier League, with all the hysterics and tantrums of the players significant time is wasted anyway". Chris reckons it could be a winner for the marketing men as well, "Sponsors can run their ads around the screen without leaving the field of play while the decision is being made." True, but we suspect the EPL viewing public, already bombarded by ads around the pitch and at halftime, wouldn't appreciate any additional brand interference with their match-viewing.

"The Kosz" says a system similar to the NFL should be brought in. "Grant each manager one video replay challenge per half, with a replay guy in the stands who would make the decisions." We're not sure a quota on the number of 'challenges' is workable. In some games there could be numerous contentious decisions in each half.

Finally, an apology to John Crompton, from Hull, who didn't take too kindly to our description of his home city as a "fading port city." Indeed, we'd like to get up to Hull one day to catch a game and check out your regenerated city, John! Perhaps some brown-nosing of Hull City's fine start to the season and the excellent football it is playing will make you feel better? It's refreshing to see a promoted side do so well, and we sincerely hope Hull continues to ruffle the feathers of the EPL elite.

Keep the banter flowing freely in the direction of thelimey@hotmail.co.uk