David Moyes believes the England team should still be managed by an Englishman, but he blames the treatment they suffer for the reason that candidates are few and far between.

The Everton manager, ahead of Saturday's home clash with struggling Sunderland, has had to give some much-needed TLC to defender Joleon Lescott after the defender's part in the shattering defeat by Croatia.

Moyes reckons Lescott cannot be blamed for what went wrong and will recover quickly from the experience.

But exactly who will be managing Lescott at international level in the future confounds the Goodison Park chief. Moyes believes the new man has to be English, comfortably ruling himself out of any reckoning.

But Scotsman Moyes blames the intense media pressures for much of the problem in finding a new man, with the likes of Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley - both in the running when Steve McClaren was appointed 18 months ago - now distancing themselves from the role.

Martin O'Neill and Mark Hughes have done the same, and Moyes said: "I think that the media pressure on the England manager has to be looked at.

"There was a period during the year when I felt Steve McClaren was really unfairly treated and I felt managers should have come out and stood up on his behalf.

"He needed support then because some of what was going on was bordering on the ridiculous. That is why so many people do not want the job.

"There do not seem to be too many now who want the job, certainly very few Englishmen. But maybe they are being chased away by the way things happen and are handled.

"It is a difficult job. The way we treat England managers does not help, but that's the job and everyone in hindsight seems to know the answers, there were so many criticising team selection but only after the game.

"That just amazes me, the way people change their views after the event."

He added: "Eighteen months ago everyone felt it was right that the England manager should be English. It is strange now that people are talking about a foreign manager as a replacement.

"I believe the new England manager should be English. We have plenty of tremendous coaches around with terrific qualities, Scotland have proved what can be done by employing a Scottish manager, they have had two in this campaign and their work has been impressive.

"Maybe it is not always the best manager in the country who should get the job, they need someone to get the right players and the right system.

"I have heard that (Sunderland boss) Roy Keane has been critical of the England players, and he sees that from his own perspective and it is his opinions. Was it about their egos? He may have a point there."

Moyes added: "I do not think everything in the English game is that bad, but I do not think we can bury our head this time and believe it is all going well.

"I think Scotland should not be characterised in that overall criticism, they had a fantastic campaign.

"What has happened in Scotland over the last year or two has, because the clubs do not have much money, they have got through a few more of their own Scottish products and they have then reached the international team.

"That has helped. Scotland have had a good campaign, but England's could have been a whole lot different. Everything ended up depending on one night when things did not go well.

"There were other problems. But England could easily have qualified and we wouldn't be talking like this. We should be careful that we do not start trying to change the world in our game here.

"Maybe quotas are worth looking at, but I am not sure that is the way to go. The people in power should have a look at that but some of the things the FA have done, like compliance units and some work behind the scenes, have been poor.

"I would not be surprised, therefore, that they do not make too good a job of this."

Lescott will be at the heart of Everton's defence against Sunderland, with Mikel Arteta and Andrew Johnson also both having a chance of playing.

On Lescott's frame of mind, Moyes said: "Joleon will be fine after his experiences with England. I watched the game and I am his biggest critic and I do not think he could have done a lot more.

"I told him he should have done better with the header into the middle of the park before Croatia's second goal, but his performance was fine considering he was the least experienced of the England back four.

"He is maturing just fine and he will learn from this experience. He did OK."

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