'Calamity' James is now Harry's Mr Dependable at Pompey

"My Mum was here, too," he joked. "She sees me play more often than he does. That's no sleight on the England manager because he has a lot of players he needs to see."

There were eight Englishmen for Capello to watch, a veritable luxury, but it was Pompey's trio of James, Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe who would have caught Capello's eye.

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What is it about Harry Redknapp that enables him to resurrect the careers of footballers abandoned by other clubs?

James may have the answer.

"It is about the environment I am working in," he said. "We've got good people around us. I like Harry and what he allows me to do. It's about managing your players properly."

James has become so important that in his 38th year he has been given a contract extension.

"I've never seen anybody train as hard," said Redknapp. "He's an absolute fanatic. He was out there yesterday organising all the players, getting them to shoot at him from 18 yards. You have to drag him off the pitch."

It is time to bury the soubriquet 'Calamity' and replace it with 'Dependable'.

Just ask Ashley Young, who was twice denied goals by James's agility.

The same could not be said of Scott Carson.

He was stranded for the first goal, a delectable chip by Defoe, then hit team-mate Nigel Reo-Coker with an attempted clearance which rebounded into the net.

Defoe is enjoying the huge benefit of regular selection.

The Capello file on Defoe v Gabriel Agbonlahor will have given the Portsmouth striker the advantage.

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Six goals in six games spells consistency, while Agbonlahor has not scored in 10.

But Villa manager Martin O'Neill said: "He does so many other things for us. He is the least of my concerns."

Young and Gareth Barry will be rated 'worth another look' in the Capello dossier while Johnson could understudy Micah Richards and even challenge him at right back.

Capello might not be a welcome sight for Villa fans.

He has watched Portsmouth complete the double over them and was at Villa Park when Manchester United beat them in the FA Cup.

Both teams had a man sent off in the last 10 minutes – Muntari and Olof Mellberg – for two yellow cards each but as Portsmouth jumped Villa into sixth place in the Barclays Premier League happy Harry will have given Capello an open invitation to watch them anytime.