Former Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson makes ‘easy’ Liverpool admission ahead of visit to Selhurst

Roy Hodgson admits Liverpool still have their Champions League destiny in their own hands ahead of their visit to former side Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend .

Hodgson also managed Liverpool in 2010 but he’s only just left Palace for Patrick Vieira 2021 and despite a strong start, the former Arsenal midfielder is struggling this season.

Liverpool are also not firing on all cylinders with Klopp’s side eighth on the league table, but just seven points behind fourth placed Tottenham with a game in hand, a win against Hodgson’s former side Crystal Palace side will keep their momentum and provide a swift response to the 5-2 Champions League defeat Real Madrid defeat in midweek.

“I wouldn’t count Liverpool out of the top four race, they just need to get on a good run. They have the quality of the squad,” Hodgson told William Hill.

“The quality of coaching and good management that they need to get them those types of good runs. It could be very, very exciting at the end of the season. There will be a few teams fighting for the Champions League places.

“A simple thing like Virgil van Dijk coming back from injury will have a massive difference for Liverpool.

“There have been a lot of injuries with Liverpoolthis season, which has contributed to their struggles. Football is always going to be defined by the moment in time, it will be what situation you find yourself in and sometimes you find yourself in a situation through no real fault of your own.

“It can be purely circumstantial, as simple as losing key players at critical moments. One or two results then go against you and then all of a sudden, it’s very easy to lose faith in what you’re doing.

“The players then have to be strong to get through those periods because there will be criticisms and those criticisms won’t always be fair, but you can’t get caught up in them.”

Palace thought they grabbed all three against Brentford last weekend but were denied by a last-gasp Vitaly Janelt strike at the Gtech stadium, they will equal their eight game winless run under Hogson if they fail to take all three points against Liverpool this weekend.