Roy Hodgson regrets blast at kids as the Crystal Palace boss admits he was WRONG to criticise young stars for their performances against Tottenham

Hodgson singled out Matheus Franca, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Naouirou Ahamada

He admitted on Thursday that it was ‘wrong to do in the disappointment of game’

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Roy Hodgson has admitted he was wrong to criticise three Crystal Palace youngsters following last Friday’s defeat by Tottenham and said he had apologised to them personally.

Boss Hodgson singled out Matheus Franca, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Naouirou Ahamada after the 2-1 home loss, saying: ‘They didn’t do anything for us at all, really. We became much weaker when I made the substitutions.’

Hodgson came under fire for his comments and rowed back on Thursday, admitting: ‘It was wrong of me to do so in the disappointment of a game.

 

‘Sometimes in a press conference directly after the game, one is tempted to say things that you really shouldn’t say and really I don’t mean.

‘We have great faith in all of our young players. We think they are going to be extremely good and they’re making very good progress.

‘It’s a bit unfair to expect more of them, as I was suggesting I did expect on that evening.

‘That was very unfair of me and wrong of me and I’ve spoken to them and explained that and apologised for actually doing so.’