Peterborough boss Williams hails Poyet influence

Gus Poyet is now manager of South Korea club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Luke Williams has hailed former Brighton and Sunderland boss Gus Poyet for the Uruguayan's key role in developing the new Peterborough boss's coaching career.

Williams worked under Poyet during his time on the south coast before beginning his own managerial career with Swindon Town in 2015.

"Gus is incredible - he's the most underrated manager in the world, I think," Williams told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

The 44-year-old said that in the 1990s he found football dull and had been encouraged to be progressive by Poyet at Brighton.

"He said to me in my first week on the second or third day, 'this is your remit, the Under-21s have got to have all the ball and all the chances because one without the other is pointless'," Williams said.

"He said 'if your team haven't touched the ball but had a couple of chances, got lucky and win a game, you're not going to fool me, and if your team are just passing the ball for no reason, I'm not interested'.

"Then I had to work out ways - and it was trial and error - for the team to be able to sustain periods of pressure on the opposition and create lots of chances."

Williams was appointed by Posh following the sacking of Darren Ferguson, his first management opportunity since being sacked by Swansea City in February.

And the team made a positive start under him, beating Cardiff City 1-0 to reach round two of the FA Cup.

He will be in charge of the team in a League One fixture on Saturday when they are at home to AFC Wimbledon.

They are currently bottom of the table, with just 10 points from 13 matches played, six points away from climbing out of the relegation places.

"This group, I would like them to recognise the defensive instincts they have inside them and the combative side they have and see if we can enhance that and marry up football that is pleasing on the eye with that - that's going to be the task," Williams said.

"As we talk about the process we need to try to put in place to see if we can improve our position, (Wimbledon boss) Johnnie Jackson has already been through that and he found a formula and pushed the envelope for them to be promoted (from League Two) and they are making a fantastic campaign again.

"We know we are going to face a team that's well oiled, that's been through the discovery stage and now has a level of performance they hit more often than not."