Souness: Gordon's poor form raises questions about Barcelona's £70m investment

Commentator Souness has written that after watching Gordon's cautious and underwhelming performances in England's first two FIFA World Cup group stage matches, Barcelona would inevitably question whether this signing was worth the investment. He believes that if Gordon continues to play timidly and conservatively after arriving in Catalonia, he will struggle to establish himself long-term at Barcelona. Yamal will be the benchmark for Gordon, and Gordon's current performances fall short of expectations for a Barcelona winger. Souness also suggested that Rashford should start instead of Gordon against Panama.

Souness's original text

I really want to know what Barcelona's hierarchy is thinking right now. It's no exaggeration to say that after watching their new signing, £70 million winger Gordon, play for England in the first two group matches, they must be wondering: is this signing really worth it?

If Gordon continues to play as conservatively and timidly as he did against Croatia and Ghana after joining Barcelona, then he is unlikely to last long in Catalonia. To establish himself at this world-class club, simply speaking Spanish is far from sufficient. I also hope he takes a close look at Spain's performance at this FIFA World Cup and understands the challenges that await him.

Gordon has entered a completely new arena that surpasses anything in his previous experience. Once the new season begins, his performances on the left wing for Barcelona will constantly be compared against the rapidly emerging youngster on the team's right wing.

Yamal is the benchmark for Barcelona wingers. Everyone saw his performance against Saudi Arabia: powerful one-on-one dribbling past defenders and striking the far post to score.

Throughout Barcelona, fans, media, and even players within the team will inevitably compare: "Yamal can perform like this, so why can't Gordon?" Anyone who thinks people won't make such comparisons is simply deceiving themselves.

Spain's draw with Cape Verde drew heavy criticism, but with Yamal's return against Saudi Arabia, the entire team went on the offensive and controlled the pace effectively. In contrast, England's match against Ghana left me extremely frustrated.

I expected a much better performance from the team, but this 0-0 draw is indefensible, disappointing, and dull to watch. Gordon had a sluggish performance throughout, and Noni Madueke was also in poor form. Has he really reached the standard required by England? He falls well short of Saka's level.

I'm not attributing all of England's problems to Gordon, but he must perform at a higher level, which he has completely failed to demonstrate so far. Against Panama, Marcus Rashford should start in his place – Gordon is essentially Barcelona's replacement winger for Rashford.

Rashford, coming off the bench in the first two group matches, always created threats, which only frustrates me more. He is currently in a transfer window, desperate to impress potential suitors, but he shouldn't need such external motivation to play at his best.

Manchester United once wanted to sell him, and he failed to establish himself at Aston Villa; even if he helped Barcelona win La Liga, the club did not plan to keep him. Rashford clearly has the potential of a top player but performs selectively. At the highest level, you must maintain peak intensity every week.

After watching the Ghana match, this assessment applies to the entire England team as well. Tuchel and Southgate made the same mistake: deploying two defensive midfielders simultaneously. Throughout the match, I barely saw Elliot Anderson or Rice deliver penetrating, purposeful passes over the top to reach Harry Kane.

The team's buildup from the back consisted entirely of safe, conservative passes. Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi either played sideways to the fullbacks or backward to Anderson and Rice. The game was tedious, the tactics predictable, and there was a severe lack of players willing to turn with the ball and disrupt the opposition's defensive structure.

This England team lacks creative attacking talent like Morgan Gibbs-White, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden. If the performance against Ghana is representative of the team's standard – with Ghana's defenders having an easy game, dealing with all attacks comfortably within their defensive shape – England fans will eventually be sorely disappointed.

Against top teams like France, Spain, Argentina, and Portugal, a compact defensive shape and counter-attacking makes sense, but this tournament also features strong teams like Morocco, Norway, and Japan. If England continues with such passive possession, they will inevitably be exploited and severely punished.

Against Panama, England only needs a win to secure top spot in Group F, but the real test begins in the knockout stages. In the Round of 16, they will most likely face Ecuador. While seemingly a manageable opponent, the reality may not be straightforward, and England urgently needs to prove themselves through their performance.

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