Reading's Irish striker Kevin Doyle says manager Steve Coppell is wrong to blame the amount of foreigners in the Premiership is to blame for England's Euro2008 failure.

"England were a little unlucky not to qualify," he argued. "I expected them to do it at home and all they had to do was hold on at 2-2 and they were through, but it wasn't to be. However, I don't think it's a lack of skill, it just didn't happen on the night.

"But I hear people blame the number of foreigners playing over here. I'm a foreigner but England didn't qualify in 1994 and also a couple of times in the Seventies.

"People have short memories, they don't like looking back and it's too easy to blame foreigners even though they've only been over here for 10 years or so.

"Maybe it hasn't helped but it's my opinion it's not a major factor. To be honest, I don't know why.

"But there's a lot of pressure on the English players, everything is magnified. It's just a case of them breaking through, getting rid of the criticism and getting people on their side."