BACKED by the club’s billionaire owners, a squad top-heavy with big-money signings and with a hugely expectant support starved of silverware, few managers are under the same scrutiny this season as Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini.

Yet Roy Hodgson believes nothing could match the pressure weighing on his shoulders when heading to Eastlands three seasons ago.

Having months earlier been handed the almost impossible task of saving Fulham from the drop, Hodgson found his team staring down the barrel when they fell 2-0 behind against City in April 2008.

Defeat would have effectively meant relegation. But the Cottagers dragged themselves off the canvas, earned a dramatic 3-2 win and eventually avoided the drop on goal difference by beating Portsmouth on the last day, setting in motion a sequence of success that ultimately led to Hodgson landing at Anfield this summer.

The 62-year-old returns to Eastlands this evening having taken on the pressure of guiding Liverpool back towards Champions League qualification following last season’s huge disappointment.

“The pressure at City is whether they will be in the top three, or top five, six or seven, but you can’t ever compare that with teams having to try and survive because we all know how important it is to be in this league,” says the Anfield manager.

“It’s not just financial, it’s the kudos. With all due respect to Championship and League football, it doesn’t compare in everyone’s eyes to the Premier League.