The Three Lions boss sat down with FATV to look back on a year that started with the promise of an exciting World Cup, but admits that their early elimination has overshadowed their progress as a squad.
England played 13 games this year, losing only twice. But those two defeats against Italy and Uruguay are difficult to forget.
"It’s been a mixed year, obviously," said Hodgson. "We had great excitement, we had a World Cup to look forward to, and not just any World Cup but one that was going to be played in Brazil.
"When that didn't go well for us that tends to cloud one's views of the year.
Roy Hodgson sat down with FATV to discuss the past year
"Fortunately, though, we've managed to redress the balance somewhat since the World Cup. The team has been even further renewed – I think the renewal process began at the start of the year really – but it's continued apace.
"We lost one or two senior players at the end of the World Cup for one reason or another. Not least the retirement of people like Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard – fantastic servants of the game and fantastic players for England over a long, long period of time.
"That forced us to look at what's available and many of them are the younger ones and they have repaid our faith in them during this autumn period."
Since returning from Brazil, Hodgson has seen his young squad begin their Euro 2016 campaign in perfect fashion.
Four Group E wins out of four – conceding only once – sandwiched by friendly victories over Norway and Scotland, sent England into the New Year six points clear at the top of the table.
And the manager is confident the Three Lions will finish the job of reaching the Finals in France when qualification concludes in 2015.
Roy Hodgson celebrates victory over Switzerland
"We believe that, on paper, we are certainly the best team in the group, and as a result it would be our duty to make certain we qualify," he said.
"Nothing I've seen so far has led me to believe that's not possible.
"But we've got our feet on the ground, we've got work to do and we know we can improve."
Hodgson continued: "The players are working hard at the moment to make sure they take their share of the responsibility and their share of the ownership of what we are doing to make certain we become as solid and as unified a team as we can possibly be."
The six wins this season have not only revitalised the squad, but Hodgson believes the run has also given confidence to the fans.
But he also recognises a personal highlight in Brazil when, despite England’s early departure, the travelling support applauded their efforts after their last game against Costa Rica.
England players clap the fans in Belo Horizonte
"[The fans] have been great throughout," he said. "You can't expect people in the immediate aftermath of the World Cup to feel different to the way we felt.
"If there was one highlight of the year, which totally revived my faith in the average man's appreciation for football and his desire to support his team, then it would be the experience in Belo Horizonte after we played our final game against Costa Rica with a very young team.
"We went to the fans to thank them, really expecting them to not be terribly grateful for our thanks – the reception we got there was quite incredible."
He added: "If we are not careful we believe that the whole of our football world is what we read.
"But sometimes it's nice to know that there is a group of people out there who can see things for themselves and maybe sometimes have totally different opinions."
We'll have more from Roy Hodgson next week as he looks ahead to 2015...
