England's assistant coach Terry Venables has accused Russia boss Guus Hiddink of 'kidology' in the build-up to the sides' crucial Euro 2008 qualifier

England's assistant coach Terry Venables has accused Russia boss Guus Hiddink of 'kidology' in the build-up to the sides' crucial Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday night.

But Venables who, along with manager Steve McClaren, is plotting a second successive home win as England bid to get their Group E campaign back on track, insists that the Dutchman's mind games will not affect their goal.

Hiddink has been vocal about England's qualification chances in the build-up to the clash at Wembley but Venables, who led the national side between 1993 and 1996, is not surprised by such tactics.

He wrote in The Sun: 'Hiddink has already had plenty to say for himself, claiming England lack passion, are scared to play and won't qualify - then in the next breath he is telling us Russia are in transition.

'You also hear him moaning about having to play his third-choice goalkeeper.

'When you have coached at the level both he and I have, you know all the tricks and the mind games.

'I'm not buying any of it. I'm shutting my ears. It's all kidology.'

The former Tottenham and Barcelona coach also revealed he would be calling on one of his finest achievements in the game to help McClaren score a victory over the experienced Russia boss.

'In Euro 96, Hiddink was Holland boss when I was England manager and we beat them 4-1 on a fantastic night at Wembley.

'There were things he did that night, albeit with a totally different set of players, which he might try again.'

Source: Soccernet.com