West Ham manager Alan Curbishley is determined to bring FA Cup finalists Portsmouth crashing back down to earth.Portsmouth beat West Brom at Wembley on Saturday to book their first appearance in the final since 1939.

But they are back in Premier League action at Upton Park on Tuesday with the Hammers chasing their first victory over Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth in five attempts.

Curbishley said: "Portsmouth reaching the final is a fantastic achievement, they must be on a fantastic high.

"But they come back down to earth tomorrow night and hopefully it will be with a bump and we will get the result.

"We have seen Manchester City drop points and we need to get a result and take advantage of that."

In a year for the underdog - Portsmouth face Championship side Cardiff City in the final - Curbishley admits to being envious of Redknapp and Bluebirds boss Dave Jones, two old friends.

Curbishley has never managed to take a side beyond the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and this season, West Ham were beaten by Manchester City in the third round.

He said: "I am delighted for them - but I am also very jealous.

"Harry has been around a long while and he perhaps thought that his chance had passed him by.

"I first met Harry when I was around 13 or 14. I used to train on a Tuesday and Thursday at West Ham with Frank Lampard senior. Harry was at Bournemouth at the time but he was always around.

"I think everybody in the game is delighted that someone who has been around so long has got to Wembley.

"And who would have thought that in this day and age a Championship side would get to Wembley and have the chance of getting into Europe?

"I am delighted for Dave Jones, who I have known for a long time. We played together in the England youth team a long while ago."

It is not just Portsmouth's success in reaching the FA Cup final that has set off pangs of jealousy in Curbishley.

While West Ham's new signings Kieron Dyer, Julien Faubert and Craig Bellamy have spent most of the season out with injury, Redknapp's recruits have fired Pompey towards silverware and European football.

One bonus for Curbishley is that former Hammer striker Jermain Defoe, who has a regular habit of scoring on his return to Upton Park, will miss the game in order to attend his grandmother's funeral.

But Curbishley has been impressed by the impact the likes of Papa Bouba Diop, Sulley Muntari and Glen Johnson have made at Fratton Park this year.

"Portsmouth have done this year what the rest of us would have liked to have done. They have brought players into their side, they have all stayed fit and been in a team that has stayed consistent," said Curbishley.

"It has been a very settled side and they have been a strong side this year."

Curbishley still has no return date for the likes of Faubert and Dyer and that is affecting his summer transfer plans.

"There are five or six players out who don't yet have a return date and are in limbo. We are trying to assess what we have got and where we need to go if we need to do some strengthening," explained Curbishley.

"It affects everything we are going to do. The injuries we have had are unprecedented. I am not too sure at this moment where we are at."

Curbishley spent the weekend in Italy, meeting with new technical director Gianluca Nani and watching three games for potential summer recruits.

"I went Friday night and came back yesterday in time for training. I went to see some players, who may be on our shopping list," said Curbishley.

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