Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp believes Pompey can gatecrash the Premier League's top four following a trio of big-money January signings.Redknapp believes Jermain Defoe, Lassana Diarra and Milan Baros have improved Pompey so much that he has now revised his initial aim of a UEFA Cup place.
Pompey are left with a favourable run-in to the end of the campaign, starting with Bolton at The Reebok on Saturday, having completed all home and away fixtures against the quartet of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool - but without losing touch at the top.
Now even the naturally-cautious Redknapp admits his team are capable of a top-four finish and a tilt at the Champions League.
The veteran manager knows the dangers of raising expectations and points out: "The trouble is that five or six other teams are entitled to have that ambition as well.
"Everton, Aston Villa, Blackburn, West Ham even Spurs - despite their bad start - are all very strong."
But if the accepted top four has suddenly become a top three because of Liverpool's failing, then Redknapp is convinced Pompey are one of the challengers.
He admits: "At the start of the season I would have said it was completely unrealistic. I really couldn't see anybody else but the usual teams being in the top four.
"I thought Liverpool, when we played them in Hong Kong in the summer, had the players to be a real title force.
"But for whatever reason they now have no chance of the championship and if you had told me then we would be this close in points to them at this stage I wouldn't have believed you
"It becomes a bit monotonous the same old names at the top. So it would be a good thing if it changed. It is going to be very tight (for fourth place) but we are in the mix and we've got a chance."
Redknapp had to sell top scorer Benjani Mwaruwari to Manchester City and reliable Matt Taylor to Bolton - Saturday's opponents - to raise the cash to buy £7.5million England striker Defoe from Tottenham, £5.5million France midfielder Diarra from Arsenal and Baros, on loan from French champions Lyon.
But he insists: "I'm absolutely delighted with the signings I've made. They are all young, Diarra is only 22, but also experienced and great assets for the future as well as now.
"I know I've said many times already that Diarra is top-drawer, but it is true. He is fantastic and you have to be to become a regular in the France side like he has.
"He ran the game against Chelsea last week. No disrespect to any of the great players there but he was by far the best player on the pitch You would have to go a long way to see a better midfield performance than that..
"It's a dream to get somebody like Defoe. He will score goals at any level. Benjani did a great job for us and will do another great job for City but you have to move on in this game if you want to sign the very top players."
Redknapp, who also has three of his African Nations Cup quartet back to boost his squad even further at Bolton, is entitled to his optimism but needs to see an improvement in points-gathering at the Reebok after just one win in the last four league games - admittedly including clashes with Manchester United and Chelsea.
Ex-Pompey pair Taylor and Andy O'Brien will want to prove Redknapp was wrong to let them go to a team that has kept three consecutive clean sheets and he admits: "Gary Megson has done a good job there since he came in. I don't see them being involved in the relegation scrap now."
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