Gordon Backs Tuchel on Possession Philosophy

Anthony Gordon has sided with Thomas Tuchel's assertion that controlling games through possession is not part of English football's DNA. The Newcastle winger, who was substituted when England were 1-0 up in their World Cup semi-final against Argentina, refused to blame Tuchel for the defeat, arguing instead that wider cultural issues influenced the side's collapse.

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 with two late goals. The head coach's tactical choices were criticized after he said "ball possession" was not in his team's DNA. esporist.org