Liverpool Boss Roy Hodgson: Pressure is on Roberto Mancini to lead Manchester City to a top three finish.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson believes that Manchester City should be “devastated” if they do not finish the Premier League season in the top three.

City boss Roberto Mancini spent £122 million in the transfer market this summer, and the Italian will have some work to do to have the team work together towards winning the league.

The Reds travel to the Eastlands on Monday, and Hodgson believes that the City team that they are facing have the quality to win the league.

“If you look at their squad of players and the amount they have spent, then everybody sees them as a very strong squad with a very good chance of winning the league,” Hodgson told The Mirror.

“I’m sure they will be devastated if they don’t finish in the top three and qualify for Champions League because the owners have spent so much money.

“It puts the manager under pressure as he has to make players gel. That’s always the same at a new club. We have the same situation except we haven’t much money, in fact we haven’t spent any.”

Hodgson, who like Mancini, has managed Serie A giants Inter Milan, believes that if the Italian can handle Inter, then he can handle the pressure at City.

“Mancini has worked at Inter and I don’t think any English coach works under the pressure you get there,” said Hodgson. “Inter is Inter. That’s real pressure. It’s an institution in Italian football, even more than AC.

“They’re a traditionally stronger club. They’ve been doing it since the 1960s. AC have only been doing it since the 1990s.

“He’s worked there, he’s been a top-class player with Sampdoria and Lazio and won titles at both clubs. Pressure will not be something that bothers him unduly.

“He can be successful at City. Chelsea did it and I’d say they were nothing like title contenders when Roman Abramovich came in and took over the club. Since he has, they have won titles.

“Blackburn Rovers did it too with Jack Walker, who came to a club that was never winning anything. They spent an awful lot of money on the likes of Alan Shearer, Chris Sutton and Tim Sherwood.

“So you’ve seen it done with Chelsea and you’ve seen it at Blackburn, so why isn’t it possible at Manchester City?”