Hodgson hoping to emulate Pompey feat

Pompey have struggled in both league and cup this season but last year they lifted the FA Cup, defeating Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the quarter-finals. The Cottagers meet the Red Devils at the same stage on Saturday and must repeat the feat if they are to reach Wembley - something Hodgson believes is well within their grasp.

"It's a big cup match as we've reached the quarter-final stage and the beauty of the cup is that you're never completely out of it," said Hodgson. "We've got home advantage against the champions of England, and we believe we can make a game of this. We're hoping it's going to be our day. If we did want to take some solace then it is there in Portsmouth last year."

He added: "I'm pretty sure that if we look in the record books we could find some other interesting results.

"Look at Barnsley knocking out Liverpool at Anfield last year. We know that in the cup all is possible so we go in as underdogs as most teams do when they play Manchester Utd.

"That must be a hard burden for Sir Alex and United to bear as whoever they play they are always the favourites. But that doesn't mean that as underdogs we think we have no chance. We believe that if we do what we can and need to do it can be our day."

The Cottagers chief has, meanwhile, cautioned left-back Paul Konchesky that he will have to be on his mettle if he is to contain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hodgson is unwilling to label Ronaldo a diver, despite being booked for simulation in the Carling Cup final, but he has warned Konchesky that it is easy to concede soft penalties against the Portuguese winger.

"Manchester United switch the play very well, so if Paul Scholes has hit a 70-yard pass at the speed of light onto Ronaldo's boot and your full-back, Paul Konchesky in this case, is trying to get out there, it's a dangerous situation," said Hodgson.

"To be fair, I don't think in the situations I've seen there's been a lot of blatant diving (from Ronaldo) these days. But at the speed he goes at, when he loses control of the ball and people are in there making attempted challenges, the referee has a difficult task on his hands," said Hodgson.