Gordon says England should stick to their own style

Former Newcastle United midfielder Anthony Gordon believes England should abandon their attempts to emulate Spain's possession-based football style. Following England's World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina in July, England manager Thomas Tuchel faced criticism for stating that ball possession isn't in their DNA, like Spain, where a passing-heavy approach is ingrained at all levels.

Gordon, who recently transferred to Spanish club Barcelona from Newcastle United, concurred with Tuchel's sentiments. Speaking ahead of England's upcoming Nations League match against Spain, the 25-year-old expressed uncertainty about whether English players could be coached in a similar manner. Gordon emphasized that culturally, it's not just the World Cup or their recent loss to Argentina where England struggled to maintain control of a game.

He stated, "As a nation, we don't have that strength like the Spanish, where they control games like they do." Gordon acknowledged that playing in Spain provided him with an educated perspective on their unique ball retention techniques, which he finds vastly different from his own football experiences in England.

Gordon advocates for embracing England's natural strengths instead of trying to replicate Spain's playing style. He suggested that England should focus more on their physicality, direct football, and counterattacking strategies. Gordon expressed confidence that England can improve by leveraging these inherent qualities rather than attempting to change their playing approach to resemble Spain's.

He highlighted the upcoming Nations League group stage fixtures, which include matches against the Czech Republic and Croatia, followed by additional games in November.