With 25 international appearances and four goals to his name, Anthony Gordon believes England’s path to winning a major trophy lies in abandoning efforts to mirror Spain’s tactical approach. Speaking at St George’s Park ahead of England’s upcoming clash with the world champions, the Barcelona winger argued that dictating possession-based games simply is not part of the “English DNA.”
Reflecting on England’s recent World Cup run, which saw the team achieve their best finish since 1966, Gordon admitted the semi-final defeat to Argentina remains a painful memory. Although England secured a 6-4 victory over France in the bronze medal match to end on a positive note, the manner of their semi-final exit drew heavy scrutiny. Head coach Thomas Tuchel faced criticism for switching to a back five after Gordon, the original goalscorer, was substituted. The tactical shift allowed Enzo Fernandez to equalize before Lautaro Martinez clinched a dramatic stoppage-time winner for Argentina.
Gordon described the heartbreak of that loss as the moment he has “never felt worse,” yet he remains hopeful that the experience will serve as a catalyst for growth. “The scar doesn’t have to be a negative one because it might lead us to victory in the next tournaments,” he noted. He emphasized that the squad must move away from comparing themselves to other nations. “We can’t keep looking at other countries and trying to be like them, because we’re not them – 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.” The report also notes that before beating France 6-4 in the bronze medal match, england lost their semi-final 2-1 to Argentina.
Comments