Anthony Gordon: England can succeed without trying to play like Spain | OneFootball

Anthony Gordon believes England should not try to replicate Spain and instead embrace the qualities that make them different from other leading international sides.

The England forward, who now plays his club football for Barcelona in Spain, says his experience there has shown him just how different the country’s approach to controlling possession is compared to English football.

Speaking ahead of England’s UEFA Nations League clash with World Cup winners Spain this weekend, Gordon questioned whether England will ever be able to dominate matches in the same way.

“I think culturally, it’s not just that tournament or that [Argentina] game where we couldn’t control a game,” Gordon said.

“As a nation, we don’t have that strength like the Spanish, where we control games like they do.

“It’s not in us. I’m not sure it’s something that can be taught because now, I think, playing in Spain, I can speak with an educated view on the way they keep the ball is different.

“It’s much different than I’ve ever experienced playing in this country.”

Gordon believes England could instead lean more heavily into the attributes traditionally associated with their game, including physicality, directness and counter-attacking football.

“I’m not sure we can ever get that, but we can definitely get better or maybe go the other way and really play to our strengths, which is play physical, play direct football, and on the counterattack,” he said.

“You can go either way, and there’s no perfect way to win a football match. It’ll be interesting to see what we do.”

Gordon says trying to make England’s players mirror their Spanish counterparts risks overlooking the different qualities already available to the national team.

“Maybe we’re at that point. I’m probably not the best person to say that. I don’t know,” he added.

“I’m speaking from a point of view where I feel like we are trying to replicate Spain because I’m in Spain now.

“I know we’ve got just as good players, but they have different qualities.

“So why try and make the same players the same as the Spanish players? Because the Spanish players lack the things that we have, and vice versa.

“I don’t want to speak because I’m not the manager, so I’m not going to control the tactics or how we play.

“But I think we need to stop looking elsewhere as a country, and maybe be proud of who we are, what we are, the things we have, and stop comparing with other countries because we’re English.

“We’re not Spanish or French or other countries who have succeeded.”