It is an irony that has been lost on few since Manchester United and Chelsea booked their trip to Moscow for the May 21 final in thrilling fashion last week.

How can, the critics ask, a country whose domestic league is dominating the most keenly-fought club competition in the world perform so pitifully in international football?

A host of reasons have been put forward, but most seem to be a variation on the same theme. Namely, there are too many foreign players plying their trade in the Premier League and it is this that is stifling English talent.

Figures are regularly trotted out in support of this argument with the number of Englishmen playing in the top flight having fallen dramatically in recent years, the inference being that the foreign invasion is driving out all the home-grown talent.

It is this, we are told, that is behind the failure of England on the international stage with there simply not being enough talented players who have come through the academy system to build a team of sufficient quality to finish above the likes of Croatia and Russia.

What this conveniently overlooks, however, is the make-up of the two teams who last week fought their way through to the Champions League final with there being enough English-born players on show to make up the basis of an excellent XI.

The back four looks particularly strong with Ashley Cole at left-back and a central defensive pairing of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. Impressive by anyone's standards and with Wes Brown, so impressive in snuffing out the considerable threat of Barcelona's attacking weaponry last Tuesday, slotting in at right-back, this defence would take some beating.

Moving into midfield, the United duo of Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves would offer a formidable barrier in front of the back four.

Both have become integral members of the Old Trafford side and a major factor in why this season may yet end with a Champions League and Premier League double for Alex Ferguson's side.

The presence of Carrick and Hargreaves would give licence to the other three English-born midfielders who starred for both United and Chelsea last week – Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Paul Scholes – to get forward.

Both Lampard and Scholes scored vital goals to help their respective clubs through to the final and with Cole a constant threat on the ball, there are not too many international managers who would not try to find a place in their side for this trio.

That leaves just two positions to fill, a goalkeeper and striker. The former position has been a problem for the Three Lions in recent years with David James, Paul Robinson and Scott Carson all having made high-profile gaffes.

But a solution may be just a few months away with Ben Foster, the United goalkeeper who excelled in two seasons on loan at Watford, set to challenge Edwin Van der Saar for the jersey next term after recovering from injury. So, we can pencil him in between the posts.

As for the one remaining place up front, a solution may come in the Moscow final with the return of a fit-again Wayne Rooney.

Not a bad side at all, and one that shows that maybe the decisive factor in why England's results differ so much from the Premier League big guns is down to management and not the so-called foreign invasion.