We will fight all the way says Hodgson

CRYSTAL Palace manager Roy Hodgson has warned the Eagles’ relegation rivals that his side will refuse to surrender ahead of the final eight matches of the season.

The Croydon-based side were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Chelsea at the weekend - keeping them in the relegation zone for at least another week - but the 18th-placed Eagles take on some of their direct competition for the drop in upcoming fixtures.

First up is a trip to the John Smith’s Stadium to take on David Wagner’s Huddersfield Town, with clashes with AFC Bournemouth, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion still on the schedule.

And the former England manager (pictured) is adamant his side will fight to the end to avoid slipping into the Championship for the first time since 2012/13.

After Palace’s defeat to Chelsea, Hodgson said: “I am enjoying the fact I am working with such a good group of people, the coaching staff and the players.

“I think the club has an awful lot of qualities and things to commend it.

“We are desperately disappointed that we are still near the bottom of the table, but if they can keep doing what we have been doing these last few months we will make a good fist of it and we won’t go gently out of the league, if we are going to go out of the league.

“Three teams have got to go out of the league, but I know one thing, we will make it as big a fight as we possibly can and you will have to bash us over the head to get us down, we won’t surrender.”