Gordon backs Tuchel’s call for England to play more directly
Developing story first seen 56 minutes ago
Anthony Gordon has backed Thomas Tuchel’s view that England should not try to replicate Spain’s possession-based style, arguing instead for a more direct, physical and counter-attacking approach. Speaking before the Nations League meeting with Spain, the Barcelona winger said England’s inability to control games under pressure was a wider cultural issue, and that the team should play to its own strengths rather than imitate other nations.
Gordon also defended Tuchel’s decisions during England’s 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina, despite being surprised to be substituted after scoring while England led 1-0. He said the players failed to take the initiative in the final 20 minutes and that England’s performance did not reflect their quality in training; Spain later beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final.
- Gordon says England should embrace direct, counter-attacking football.
- He agrees possession control is not naturally English.
- He defends Tuchel over the Argentina semi-final defeat.
Full account
Anthony Gordon has thrown his weight behind manager Thomas Tuchel's controversial assertion that England's football cannot be built around possession-based control, a style he views as fundamentally at odds with the national team's strengths. The Barcelona winger, speaking at the national training base ahead of Saturday's Nations League encounter with Spain, drew on his recent experience in La Liga to argue that attempting to emulate the Spanish blueprint would prove futile, however alluring that prospect might appear to analysts and tacticians.
Gordon's remarks came in the context of lingering frustration over England's World Cup semi-final elimination by Argentina in July. The squad had achieved their finest World Cup showing since 1966 by reaching the last four and subsequently claiming the third-place play-off, yet the manner of their semi-final collapse continued to invite scrutiny. After Gordon had opened the scoring, Tuchel's subsequent switch to a five-at-the-back formation and his substitution of the goalscorer proved decisive, with Argentina scoring twice in quick succession to advance. This tactical decision had provoked significant criticism, though Gordon appeared reluctant to apportion blame to his manager, instead attributing the setback to deeper structural characteristics of English football.
Having joined Barcelona from Newcastle for a fee of £69.3 million during the summer transfer window, Gordon argued that his immersion in Spanish football culture had given him distinct perspective. He contended that the physical attributes, directness and counter-attacking instincts that English players possessed were being unnecessarily suppressed in pursuit of a possession-dominant approach that sat uneasily with the national tradition. Rather than persisting in this imitation, Gordon advocated a return to the English footballing identity—one emphasising pace, physicality and transitions rather than intricate ball retention.
The winger maintained that whilst English players possessed the technical competency to maintain possession, a cultural and tactical divergence meant they could never truly replicate Spain's mastery of the ball. He observed that Spanish decision-making in possession possessed a logic that he found difficult to comprehend from an English perspective. Gordon suggested that the accumulated disappointments—two consecutive European Championship final losses alongside defeats to France and Argentina in successive World Cups—ought to prompt a philosophical shift rather than renewed commitment to a foreign tactical model. Spain's recent World Cup triumph, secured through dominant possession football against Argentina, presented an immediate test of whether England would persist with their existing approach or embrace the alternative pathway Gordon advocated.
Where outlets differ
Source 2 explicitly emphasises Gordon's refusal to blame Tuchel, stating he 'argued that wider cultural issues influenced the side's collapse', whereas Source 1 focuses more on Gordon's emotional response ('never felt worse') without addressing the blame question directly.
Source 1 provides specific tournament context (the 6-4 victory over France, Spain's 65% possession, Messi receiving two shots) whereas Source 2 omits these statistical details.
Source 2 describes the upcoming match as a 'Nations League game' specifically, whilst Source 1 describes it more generally as 'their first match together since the World Cup'.
Source 2 emphasises the physical and counterattacking approach as an explicit alternative strategy ('play physical, play direct football and on the counterattack'), whilst Source 1 frames it more as playing to inherent English strengths without detailing the tactical alternative.
Source 2 notes Tuchel's openness to 'embracing the chaos of English football', providing context for his philosophical position, which Source 1 does not include.
Source 1 includes Gordon's quote about 'never felt worse' to emphasise his emotional response; Source 2 reframes the discussion toward systemic cultural differences rather than personal anguish.
Coverage
- BBC Sport — England should stop trying to replicate Spain – Gordon
- The Guardian — Gordon says England should embrace direct style over possession