Jim confident of Pompey win

8:00am Saturday 17th May 2008

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Jim Smith will be at Wembley Stadium today hoping his good friend Harry Redknapp lifts the FA Cup with Portsmouth.

And the Oxford United director (pictured with Harry Redknapp), who was twice manager at Oxford and twice involved in management at Fratton Park, believes their quality will be too much in the end for surprise finalists Cardiff City.

The winner will be the one that best handles the occasion, and Premiership side Pompey should have the players to do that, the Bald Eagle reckons.

"Being strong favourites is very often a problem for teams in the Cup final, it's down to how you deal with it on the day," he said.

"I just feel, as a lot of people do, that it's Portsmouth's year.

"Cardiff have done extremely well to have got to the final, and I had a chat with Dave Jones when we were both at Downing Street the other night and he was saying what a physically strong side they are.

"Cardiff are a good side, but they're a good side in the Championship, whereas Portsmouth are a good side in the Premier League - and that's a big difference.

"It will be, just like it has been with Oxford United, how the teams adapt to the occasion, sometimes when you have no pressure it can be much easier."

Smith managed Portsmouth from 1991-95 and later worked there as assistant to Redknapp, but it's for his own reasons, rather than his friendship with Redknapp, that he wants the FA Cup to be heading down to the south coast tomorrow evening.

"I've been connected with Portsmouth twice and they're a super club, with super people.

"I'm going down to the game on Saturday and am looking forward to it. One of my other teams, Sheffield Wednesday, don't make it to the Cup Final very often, so I'm going to enjoy this occasion."

Welsh striker Matt Green, who struck ten goals in 16 starts with Oxford United last season, is hoping his former club can spring a shock on the day, despite being released by Cardiff earlier this month.