Anthony Gordon says England should stop trying to copy Spain’s style of play, speaking from St George’s Park as the squad prepare to face the world champions. The Barcelona winger, who joined in a big money summer move from Newcastle, believes controlling matches simply isn’t part of English football’s identity. His comments have become the main talking point out of the camp, and the Anthony Gordon Spain England debate is one every fan will want to follow before kick off.
Anthony Gordon Urges England to Abandon Spanish Tactical Model
Gordon’s argument is straightforward. England keep trying to play possession football like Spain, and he feels that approach works against what English players do naturally. He wants Thomas Tuchel’s squad to back their own qualities rather than copy a side built on a completely different tradition.
Gordon said the team should stop chasing someone else’s game plan, insisting “we’re English and we have our own strengths which they don’t have.” It’s a bold stance from a player still only a few months into life at Barcelona.
St George’s Park Interview Details and Tuchel Tactical Defence
Gordon scored for England in last year’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina, before being substituted as Tuchel switched to a back five late in the game. The change didn’t turn things around, and England lost 2-1 before beating France 6-4 in the third-place play-off, a result covered in detail through his goal against Argentina.
Gordon refused to let that decision define the tournament, or to let Tuchel take the blame alone. “We shouldn’t try and blame one man who’s obviously trying his best and trying to win the cup for us all,” he said, speaking to BBC Sport.
He pointed instead to the players’ own responsibility for how that game unfolded, saying the squad needed to take charge of matters themselves before it reached that stage. “We could have done more to take the initiative to control the game,” he said, adding that doing so earlier would have taken the choice of formation out of the manager’s hands entirely. On the wider disappointment of the exit, he offered a note of perspective. “[The] scar doesn’t have to be a negative one because it might lead us to victory in the next tournaments,” he said.
Barcelona Winger Analyzes Differences in Spanish and English DNA
Gordon’s view comes from lived experience. Since his move, he’s watched Spanish football up close every week, and he sees a culture built around patient, controlled possession that looks very different from the English game. That contrast sits at the heart of the Anthony Gordon Spain England argument he’s been making since he arrived at Barcelona.
“I’m speaking from a point of view where I feel like we are trying to replicate Spain,” Gordon explained. He doesn’t think that’s the right template for his national team, and he’s clear that English players bring a different set of qualities rather than a weaker version of Spain’s game.
He explained that English players are just as talented as their Spanish counterparts but suited to a different way of playing, saying “the Spanish players lack the things that we have and vice versa.” Asked directly whether England could be coached into Spain’s style of control, his answer was blunt. “It’s not in the English DNA,” he said. Supporters can read more on how that thinking shapes Gordon’s international role heading into the fixture.
Upcoming Fixture Against Spain and Tournament Outlook
Spain arrive as world champions after beating Argentina in the final, where they dominated possession and held their opponents to just two shots across 120 minutes. It’s exactly the kind of controlled, patient performance Gordon feels England shouldn’t try to copy.
England now get the chance to test that theory in person when the two sides meet, with Gordon set to feature fresh off his move to Barcelona. His comments have already given fans plenty to debate before a ball is kicked.
