Hodgson: Don't rule out Liverpool just yet

Despite his Fulham team's 3-1 defeat of Liverpool, Roy Hodgson has refused to write off his vanquished opponents from the title race.

Hodgson saw his Fulham side hand Liverpool their fifth league defeat of the season with a 3-1 victory at Craven Cottage on Saturday. It was Liverpool's sixth defeat in seven matches in all competitions and they languish nine points behind leaders Chelsea.

But Hodgson said: "You never know. They are a very good team, very well organised. They have some very good players and are unlucky at the moment that their talisman Steven Gerrard isn't playing and (Fernando) Torres isn't 100% fit and has to be nursed through the games.

"But I can see them going on a really good run when they win seven, eight, nine games in a row and if that was to coincide with one or two defeats for the other top teams they would soon be up there again.

"With a quarter of the season gone it is very early to be writing anybody off. I remember not so long ago Manchester United were lingering in the middle of the table almost halfway through the season and went on to win it.

"If I was Sir Alex (Ferguson) or Arsene (Wenger) or Carlo Ancelotti I don't think I would be writing them off."

Hodgson, however, was realistic about his own club's chances after finishing seventh last year and qualifying for the Europa League.

He told Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme: "To be one of the best seven teams in the league is going to be very difficult for us on an annual basis. The club is not necessarily geared for that.

"More and more money is being spent and the top four is rapidly becoming the top seven in terms of financial power.

"It would be nice if we could treat our fans to a season when they are not biting their nails into the last two or three games and be a good enough team to occasionally spring surprises like we did yesterday."