• World Cup

We'll park the bus! Poyet dampens England hopes

ESPN staff
June 15, 2014
Gus Poyet believes Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani will do the damage against England © PA Photos
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Gus Poyet says Uruguay will have no problems parking the bus in their highly anticipated World Cup clash against England on Thursday.

Uruguay suffered a shock loss to Costa Rica in the opening Group D match in Brazil while Roy Hodgson's side were beaten 2-1 by Italy in Manaus on Saturday.

Both sides require victory to keep their qualification hopes alive but Poyet has warned his nation will happily sit back and let Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani do the damage.

"Our new system is 8-2. Suarez and Edinson Cavani and then there is the rest," Poyet told the Sun. "Uruguay have proper defenders. That's what they do.

"We're going to make it extremely hard for England, really hard and then give the ball to the ones who make a difference when it matters.The team know they need to work for Suarez and Cavani.

"They will die, running, tackling whatever they need to do for each other to give the ball to Suarez and Cavani.

"Uruguay have been playing the same way, with the same manager for a long time and that's a big advantage. The Spanish for parking the bus? Well, we say the same - Estancionar el autobus.

"I think it's a way of playing football. There is something with Uruguay and maybe with Italy, too, that gets results like this. It's a system, like it or not and it works. It worked in the Confederations Cup, the World Cup qualifiers and the Copa America."

However, Sunderland manager Poyet is convinced Hodgson's introduction of young blood into the national side will reap benefits - if not in Brazil this time around then certainly at Russia 2018.

He said: "If it does gel for England, you have youth, pace, power, you've got what you need to play in the World Cup. The problem is can the England players do it in three weeks? We normally say as managers, 'No, we need time'. It's like a new team.

"I know there is Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard but the others are very, very young and it depends on how they adapt. England have the opportunity to build something with this youth.

"England, in four years' time, will be playing whatever type of football is good with these players. If you go out on penalties, then don't worry because these players are going to be in an incredible position with skills and experience in four years' time."

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