Anthony Gordon has backed Thomas Tuchel's view that England's players have an inbuilt inability to control matches with possession - and has urged the team to embrace the country's traditional strengths.

Tuchel was criticised for England's defensive retreat after Gordon's goal gave them the lead against Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals, an approach which ultimately allowed their rivals to turn the match around in the final stages.

Tuchel responded by hitting out at the 'DNA' of English players. "I think ball possession plays a crucial role; it's maybe not in our DNA like it is in Spanish DNA or in Argentinian-Brazilian DNA, to take the ball and control the game with the ball," he said.

Tuchel made those comments despite leaving some of England's most technical players - Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold - out of his World Cup squad, and not giving midfielder Kobbie Mainoo a minute of game time during the tournament.

However, speaking ahead of England's Nations League opener with world champions Spain, Gordon has backed his manager's view.

"England, as a nation, we don't have that strength, like the Spanish, where we control games like they do," said Gordon in a press conference. "It's not in us."

Gordon was speaking at St George's Park, a venue created to develop young English players in a technical style inspired by countries such as Spain, where former FA chief football officer Dan Ashworth outlined what became known as the 'England DNA' - an ironic backdrop given Tuchel's remarks.

Gordon, who now plays his club football in Spain for Barcelona, came through that system, starring in the country's successful youth teams, but said: "I'm not sure it's something that can be [taught].

"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.

"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 counter-attack."

Speaking last week, Tuchel suggested England should perhaps "embrace the chaos" of that approach, and Gordon believes that could be the key lesson from the summer's World Cup disappointment.

"I think now that we've had that experience, probably the next time we're in that position, we'll go the other way," he said. "That scar doesn't have to be a negative one, because it might lead us to victory in the next tournaments."

'We're English and we have our own strengths'

Detailing the difference between Spanish and English players, Gordon said: "We, as English players, are educated the same way as the Spanish players. We know how to keep possession, but it's the decision-making of certain players in Spain which is just not a natural thing [for English players].

"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'. It's the way they're built.

"It's important for us that 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 to what we're good at."

Did iconic win in Mexico make England defensive?

Reflecting on the World Cup, Gordon also highlighted the impact of England's backs-to-the-wall, 10-man victory over Mexico at the Azteca, and how it subconsciously shaped their mentality for the subsequent matches against Norway and Argentina.

"The Mexico game was by far the best experience I've ever had in my life. But I think that probably set us up in a way," he said.

"The red card, it made us show a different side of us. We weren't so much the team that wanted to play anymore, we needed to really fight to get the victory, which we did. Then that probably became our MO a bit too much for the next two games, and ultimately didn't work for us in the semi-final."

Gordon, though, still backs the quality in the England squad - and is convinced they could have upset Spain in the final had they made it.

"I felt so confident," he said. "I felt like if we would have got to the final, I would have felt so confident playing Spain, that we would come out victorious, but we just didn't get there, so we'll never know."

It's not a World Cup final but England have the opportunity to show their level on Saturday at Wembley.

"If we can't be motivated to show what we can do at this level, then we're never going to be," said Gordon. "Spain are an incredible team.

"I spoke with the guys at Barca and said 'how would they have felt if we got to the final [instead of] Argentina?'

"They'd seen us as really competitive. It would have been a much more competitive game, because I felt Spain dominated the final. So maybe we can show that. We can show them how good we are.

"It won't replicate the final but playing against the best team in the world and winning and playing well, that'll do for now."

Follow England vs Spain on the Sky Sports website and App on Saturday; kick-off 7.45pm