{
  "id": 9509838,
  "title": "England should stop trying to replicate Spain - Gordon",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/england-should-stop-trying-to-replicate-spain-gordon-9509838",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T07:06:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/england-stop-trying-replicate-spain-050531461.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Anthony Gordon, who has made 25 appearances for England and scored four goals, believes that the English national team should stop trying to emulate Spain. The Barcelona winger made his comments at St George's Park while the England squad prepared for their World Cup qualifier against world champions Spain.\n\nEngland recently suffered a 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-final, after previously winning 6-4 against France in the bronze medal match. Gordon was substituted during the semi-final, which he felt was a low point, saying he had \"never felt worse\" after the game. He believes the defeat might lead the squad to adopt a different approach in the next tournament.\n\nGordon stated that the English national team cannot replicate Spain's style of play, as they have their own unique strengths. He expressed doubt that English players can be taught to play like Spanish players, citing their different qualities. Gordon's experience playing in La Liga has reinforced his belief that Spanish players have distinct qualities that differ from English players.\n\nEngland has not won a European Championship final since 1966 and has been beaten by France and Argentina in the World Cup in the past two tournaments. These results have raised questions about whether England can control possession effectively against elite nations. Gordon emphasized that Spain's playing style, characterized by possession-based football, poses a significant challenge for England.\n\nThe 25-year-old winger, who recently moved to Barcelona for £69.3 million, was surprised to be substituted during the semi-final. He described scoring the goal that put England ahead against Argentina as an exhilarating moment, but admitted that being substituted was different. However, he acknowledged that players often face substitutions in their careers.\n\nGordon defended head coach Thomas Tuchel's tactical decisions, suggesting that English players should take more initiative and control the game rather than relying on the manager to make tactical changes. He emphasized that England had the best team on the pitch in the semi-final, and their failure to play their best football resulted in the loss. Gordon urged the team to take responsibility for their performance and not blame Tuchel for their downfall.",
  "summary": "Anthony Gordon says that controlling games is not in the \"English DNA\" but the Three Lions could still win major tournaments if they stop \"trying to replicate Spain\".",
  "key_points": [
    "Gordon advises England to stop emulating Spain's playing style.",
    "England's recent defeats to Argentina and France raise concerns about possession control.",
    "Gordon praises England's performance in the semi-final but blames the team for the loss."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Tuchel seeks tonic to England World Cup ‘scar’ in Spain showdown",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/tuchel-seeks-tonic-to-england-world-cup-scar-in-spain-showdown",
        "published": "2026-09-24T01:41:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "England should stop trying to replicate Spain - Gordon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/england-should-stop-trying-to-replicate-spain-gordon",
        "published": "2026-09-24T05:05:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Tuchel seeks tonic to England World Cup 'scar' in Spain showdown",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/tuchel-seeks-tonic-to-england-world-cup-scar-in-spain-showdown-9498696",
        "published": "2026-09-24T05:46:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Citizen",
        "title": "Tuchel seeks tonic to England World Cup ‘scar’ in Spain showdown",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/tuchel-seeks-tonic-to-england-world-cup-scar-in-spain-showdown-9521829",
        "published": "2026-09-24T07:26:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Ahead of Spain clash, Gordon says England’s path to titles lies in English strengths, not imitation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/ahead-of-spain-clash-gordon-says-englands-path-to-titles-lies-in",
        "published": "2026-09-24T08:15:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}