- Published
Anthony Gordon says that controlling games is not in the English "DNA" but the Three Lions could win major tournaments if they stop "trying to replicate Spain".
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they → publish → Spain
The Barcelona winger was speaking at St George's Park as the England squad prepare to take on world champions Spain on Saturday - their first match together since the World Cup.
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squad → speak → Cup
England lost their semi-final 2-1 to Argentina, before beating France 6-4 in the bronze medal match.
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England → lose → match
Ending on a high meant England achieved their best finish in a World Cup since 1966.
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England → end → 1966
But many have criticised the manner in which England were beaten by Argentina, after head coach Thomas Tuchel substituted goalscorer Gordon and went to a back five.
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Tuchel → criticise → five
The tactical tweak invited pressure, with Enzo Fernandez equalising before Lautaro Martinez scored a stoppage-time winner.
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Martinez → invite → winner
Gordon said that he had "never felt worse", after the game and believes that the "scar" left by defeat may mean the England squad take a different approach in the next tournament.
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squad → say → tournament
"[The] scar doesn't have to be a negative one because it might lead us to victory in the next tournaments," Gordon said.
"
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Gordon → have → tournaments
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."
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we → keep → way
Gordon moved to Barcelona from Newcastle for £69.3m in the summer.
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Gordon → move → summer
He says that the experience of playing in La Liga - with and against some of Spain's top stars - has made him realise just how different the nation's approach is to football.
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approach → say → football
He is not convinced English players can be taught to play more like the Spanish, with their intricate possession-based game.
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players → convince → game
"I'm speaking from a point of view where I feel like we are trying to replicate Spain," Gordon said.
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Gordon → speak → Spain
"Because I'm in Spain, I know we have just as good players, but they have different qualities, so why are you trying to make those players the same as the Spanish players?
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players → know → players
Because the Spanish players lack the things that we have and vice versa."
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we → lack → that
England have lost two consecutive European Championship finals, and been beaten by France and Argentina in the past two World Cups.
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England → lose → Cups
Those outcomes have led to repeated questions about whether the team are good enough at controlling possession against elite nations.
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team → lead → nations
Spain won the World Cup by beating Argentina and dominated with 65% of the ball in the final, restricting opponents led by Lionel Messi to just two shots in 120 minutes of play, neither of which hit the target.
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neither → win → target
Spain's particular style will test England again this weekend, and the Wembley hosts will look to find a response - but perhaps not by copying their opponents.
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hosts → test → opponents
"It's not in the English DNA," Gordon said.
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Gordon → say → DNA
"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.
"
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they → teach → ball
I even look at some of the decisions they take on the ball sometimes and think I'm not sure how you've seen that.
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you → look → that
"It's the way they're built.
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they → build → ?
I don't know whether it is something that maybe we can't ever put a name to, but they're definitely built different."
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they → know → name
Gordon surprised to be taken off
Gordon's goal in the semi-final capped what was an impressive tournament for the 25-year-old and briefly had England supporters dreaming of World Cup glory.
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supporters → take → glory
The winger started five of England's games and also provided four assists.
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winger → start → assists
He was taken off 17 minutes after putting the Three Lions ahead against Argentina and says that he was surprised to be substituted.
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he → take → Argentina
He says that after scoring he plays "off adrenaline" and "goes into an untouchable mode of confidence".
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he → say → confidence
"It makes me feel on top of the world, especially in that moment on that stage.
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me → make → stage
I felt really good," he said.
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he → feel → ?
"But as a winger, to be honest, I come off most games.
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I → come → games
"Obviously that substitution was different but in that moment probably yeah, but in general as a winger I expect it a lot of the time."
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I → expect → time
England had battled to a 3-2 win over Mexico in the Azteca Stadium, where they played with 10 men for over 35 minutes after Jarell Quansah's red card.
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they → battle → card
According to Gordon, the manner of that last-16 victory was a factor in the players' thinking when trying to get over the line against Argentina.
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manner → accord → Argentina
The winger also suggested that the team did not match the performances that they were creating in training.
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they → suggest → training
If they had, Gordon says, they "would have dominated everyone".
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they → have → everyone
He defended Tuchel's "more safe and more defensive" tactics, which sparked external criticism and in-camp disappointment.
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which → defend → camp
"We shouldn't try and blame one man who's obviously trying his best and trying to win the cup for us all," Gordon said.
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Gordon → try → us
"As players, we could have done more to take the initiative to control the [Argentina] game.
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we → do → game
I think if we do that the manager doesn't make the decision [to use a back five].
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manager → think → five
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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