When England failed to qualify for this summer's European Championships in Austria and Switzerland there was an almighty outcry about how the influx of foreign players has had a negative impact on the national team.

However in the very same season three Premier League clubs have reached the last-four of the Champions League and two - Chelsea and Manchester United - have gone on to set up a first-ever All-English European Cup final in Moscow on May 21.

The initial argument would be that, despite being English clubs in name, these top teams are littered with top foreign talent who are responsible for their success on the field!

On the face of it you could argue that United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez have been integral in their side's progress, while Chelsea have the likes of Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack to name but a few.

However take another look at the team line-ups and if respective managers Avram Grant and Sir Alex Ferguson get to name their first-choice starting line-ups almost half of the 22 players on the field of play in Moscow later this month will be from England.

United will have Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, semi-final hero Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney, Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick on show, while Chelsea will almost certainly have John Terry, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Ashley Cole lining up at the start of the game.

Chelsea will also have Shaun Wright-Phillips and Wayne Bridge to call on with United boasting veteran full-back Gary Neville in their ranks.

If Liverpool had gone through instead of Chelsea there would still have been Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher starting with Jermaine Pennant and Peter Crouch on the periphery of the team.

This begs the question what exactly is wrong with the England team?

It is blatantly not a lack of quality because as has been proved this season and in the past, the cream of English football are all plying their trade in the top Premier League teams.

It also scotches the notion that foreigners are stunting the development of young English talent because if the youngsters coming through the ranks are good enough they will get a chance to prove it.

It simply boils down to the man at the helm of the national team being able to get the raw ingredients and blend them into a winning formula.

Steve McClaren had the players at his disposal but could not throw them together as a team so the Football Association went for the more experienced and revered Italian task-master Fabio Capello to ensure the Three Lions do not miss out on the 2010 World Cup.

If Capello is as good as everyone makes out then England might actually start winning again and people might stop looking for scapegoats and focus on the good that there is in English football.