Fulham boss Hodgson: Refs will be sympathetic to Birmingham after Ngog dive

Roy Hodgson fears Fulham could suffer the fall-out from David Ngog’s controversial dive that cost Birmingham victory at Anfield.

Ngog’s theatrics earned Liverpool a dubious penalty – and generated a wave of sympathy for Alex McLeish’s side in their last game before the international break.

Hodgson’s Fulham side will this weekend become the first side to face City since that controversial clash on Merseyside.

And while the Cottagers' boss knows the events at Anfield won’t have a direct effect on referee Chris Foy today, he is well aware every contentious incident in either penalty box at St Andrew’s will come under intense scrutiny.

Hodgson said: “Referees are human beings, so, if we are talking on the sympathy front, then Birmingham City will be right up there in the forefront at the moment.

“Obviously most of the people at the Liverpool game thought they were harshly done by with the refereeing decisions so that's not good for us.

"One is always worried that any compensation due to them will come at your expense so we'll have to tread very carefully there.

“I don't think any referee sets out deliberately to do that but certainly people will feel a lot of sympathy with Birmingham after their great performance at Liverpool - just as we feel sympathy with Ireland after their two excellent performances against France.”