England's perennial struggle to keep the ball when under pressure flared when a place in the final was within touching distance in July, allowing Argentina to fight back and go through with two late goals. The pain has not gone away and there has been intense scrutiny of Tuchel's role in Atlanta. The head coach's tactical choices were criticised and he faced a backlash after saying "ball possession" was not in his team's DNA.
Gordon, who thinks he will always be scarred by losing against Argentina, sided with Tuchel's observations about England's style as he looked towards the Nations League game against Spain on Saturday. The 25-year-old admitted the side had an ingrained inability to control games but argued they should stop trying to copy other nations. Gordon has gained an insight into the Spanish understanding of how to use the ball since his move to Barcelona.
Gordon has suggested that England should lean more into their physical strengths, playing physical, direct football and on the counterattack. He believes that this approach would be more in line with England's cultural identity, rather than trying to emulate the possession-based style of teams like Spain. England will face Spain in the Nations League on Saturday, and it remains to be seen whether they will adopt a more direct approach.