The Fratton Park outfit tackle big-spending Manchester City tomorrow, hoping to pick up their first league points of the season.

Pompey have had a manic two days in the transfer market and have recruited Tommy Smith, Michael Brown, and Kevin Prince-Boateng.

They have also sealed loan deals for Lens striker Aruna Dindane and Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara.

While Hart has been forced to do all this on a limited budget, City manager Mark Hughes has splashed out a huge £120 million this summer alone.

But Hart believes it is possible to climb the league without flashing the cash, as Everton proved when finishing fifth last season.

He said: "If you look at Everton over the past few years, it has taken them a while.

"But on a limited budget they've brought in a group of players that are hard-working and organised - and they have threatened.

"If you spoke to any manager outside the top four, they would say that given the sort of money City have, they may be able to challenge. But David Moyes has done it without."

Hart grew up supporting City on the Maine Road terraces, idolising the likes of Francis Lee, Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell.

But he believes his boyhood club's current crop of stars face a huge battle to break into the Premier League's top four this term.

He said: "Money doesn't always buy success - you have to work at it.

"There is an expectation that goes with spending £200 million and I would think they will be expecting to finish in the top four.

"In the company of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, that will be tough.

"I don't think anyone has the God-given right to be up there.

"You only have to look at Liverpool's struggles and Arsenal - they're a fantastic team but haven't won anything for four years. That shows you how difficult it is."

There is no doubt losing the likes of Glen Johnson, Peter Crouch and Sylvain Distin over the summer has been a blow to Hart's preparations for this season.

Some have questioned whether the south coast club's existing squad and raft of low-budget recruits will be enough to keep them in the top flight.

But Hart is determined to make up for what he has lost in class with rock-solid organisation.

He said: "I think that the players I'm bringing in allied to the players I've got will make us a very difficult team to beat eventually.

"It's my job to help bridge that gap by instilling a strategy into those players and a way of playing that might well beat Manchester City or any other team.

"Hopefully, we'll have all the players we've targeted in place before Tuesday. Every club is trying to improve and we'll be doing that."

Hart is delighted to be able to put Portsmouth's protracted takeover saga behind him after Arab businessman Sulaiman Al-Fahim completed his deal to buy the club earlier this week.

The nine-month wait for a takeover has left the club short of funds and proved a real headache for the manager.

But having led Nottingham Forest while they were strapped for cash, Hart says he has taken Pompey's plight in his stride.

He said: "I was having meetings with potential administrators at Nottingham Forest, so it's quite nice this, compared to that.

"But we're hoping the deal puts a line under it all because all the questions to me over the last few months have been about takeovers."