Hammers boss hails golden oldies

Redknapp, 60, has guided unfashionable Pompey into fifth place in the Premier League on the back of four consecutive victories and welcomes the Hammers - the team he managed with some distinction for seven years - to Fratton Park for this evening's televised clash.

"It's great what Harry has done there. They had a really tricky start facing the top four teams, got through that and now they have had a fantastic run and are up there in the top six," said Curbishley.

"If you look at the teams at the top of the league, the managers are vastly experienced - (Arsene) Wenger, (Sir Alex) Ferguson, (Sven-Goran) Eriksson, (Rafael) Benitez and Redknapp are all of a certain age.

"In Italy, the average age of the managers is about 54, and now experience is counting at the top of the Premier League at the moment.

"Harry can spot a player and he gets the best out of them. He gets experienced players in like Sol Campbell, David James, Sylvain Distin, and then when he gets some money to spend he has bought people who have slotted in and done well.

"His team is consistent. It's the same team week in, week out, and they are picking up results. They have got a shape which they stick to, they have got the players who are good at it and they have had a good run.

"Portsmouth is a hard place to go, because of the stadium, the crowd, they certainly let you know you're away from home."

Curbishley takes his Hammers side down to the south coast on the back of an unconvincing 3-1 home win over Sunderland which ended a three-game losing streak.

Winger Matthew Etherington admits the players will have to raise their game to take a positive result back to east London.

"They have been very impressive this season and we know we'll have to play better than we did against Sunderland," he said.

"On Sunday, we needed the win. It was a big game for us, we had lost our last three and we needed a win otherwise we would have been looking down instead of looking up.

"It's always a good atmosphere down there and Harry Redknapp has done well for them and bought some very good players in, so we know it will be tough."

The Hammers are once again without a host of big-name stars through injury, with £7million Scott Parker topping a lengthy casualty list having failed to shake off knee-ligament trouble.

Freddie Ljungberg is struggling with a calf injury and Dean Ashton, Bobby Zamora (both knee), Kieron Dyer (broken leg), Julien Faubert (Achilles), James Collins (calf) and Calum Davenport (groin) are all out.

"Even the chef has been out for two weeks with a hernia, it's incredible," added Curbishley.