Anthony Gordon has called for England to stop trying to replicate Spain's style of play. The winger believes the national team must forge its own identity to finally win a major tournament.
Speaking at St George's Park ahead of Friday's friendly against Spain, Gordon was clear about the path forward. "We can't keep looking at other countries and trying to be like them, because we're not them," he said. "We're English and we have our own strengths which they don't have, so maybe we start playing the way we're good at." He argued that the possession-dominant approach perfected by the world champions is "not in the English DNA".
World Cup heartbreak
The comments come after England's painful 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final last month. Gordon had put England ahead, but Enzo Fernandez equalised before Lautaro Martinez scored a stoppage-time winner. Thomas Tuchel's decision to substitute Gordon 17 minutes after his goal and switch to a back five was heavily debated. Gordon admitted the change felt different in the moment but noted wingers are often replaced. He defended the manager, insisting players must take responsibility for a performance that did not match their training levels.
England recovered to beat France 6-4 in the bronze medal match, their best World Cup finish since 1966. That result is part of a strong recent run, with the team currently top of their World Cup qualifying group with seven points from three games. Their last five matches show four wins and one loss, a sequence that includes a dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico where they played with ten men for over 35 minutes.
Looking ahead
Gordon, who joined Barcelona from Newcastle for £69.3m this summer, started five games at the World Cup and provided four assists. He believes the scar from the Argentina loss could ultimately drive the team to future glory. The immediate focus is Friday's match, the first meeting with Spain since their World Cup final triumph. Gordon suggested English players cannot be taught to play like their Spanish counterparts due to fundamentally different qualities. Each nation has unique strengths, he argued.
England will be without several key players for the Spain friendly, including Marcus Rashford, the man Gordon was signed to replace at international level. The latest squad news and availability updates are always available on our injuries page. Despite the absentees, the team leads their qualifying group by a point from Croatia, having scored six goals and conceded two. Jude Bellingham is the current top scorer this season with seven goals in eight appearances. The squad's current form and standings can be tracked on our standings page. The team's next fixture is a World Cup qualifier away to Poland on Tuesday, October 15th.
This story first appeared at bbc.co.uk
