The outspoken England goalkeeper, 38, is so confident of Pompey's top-flight survival that he hints it does not matter too much if their bid to beat Arsenal for the first time in the top flight comes unstuck at Fratton Park tomorrow.

Just one win short of the perceived security of 41 points, James admits Pompey have become firm favourites to dodge the dreaded drop, with the current bottom three all facing daunting tasks this weekend.

But he warns they cannot afford to relax the tight grip on security which the uncomplicated methods of stand-in boss Paul Hart and his assistant Brian Kidd have reintroduced after the ill-fated Tony Adams reign.

James said: "We've got to try and get something from the Arsenal game - but with Blackburn and Sunderland coming up next there are two sides we actually need to get points from if we want a happy end to the season.

"It would be nice to win a home game again because our home form has not been what it should have been.

"But whatever side Arsenal put out we know it will be one with a lot of talent and hunger.

"They can't win the league so they must now be focused on the second leg of the Champions League and that could be nice for us but it is still going to be tough."

James insists Pompey must retain the drive and urgency which Hart and Kidd have restored.

He said: "My form has been all right but there have been some moments which were not too great. Last season we had such a high with winning the FA Cup and finishing in a league position (eighth) nobody would have thought possible.

"Maybe some players thought this season would be just a continuation of the last one but inevitably the Premier League finds you out if you are not quite up for it and you get punished.

"I think we were all a bit guilty of that somewhere down the line."

James admitted: "Harry Redknapp's departure was a shock and I think what we had built defensively over a couple of seasons was lost for much of the time. People have criticised my comments about the way things were run (under Adams) but I think they were true.

"Now Paul and Kiddo have been involved and we are lot stronger defensively than we were. We've become difficult to beat again. Things have been dealt with and put back to basics on the training field.

"Next season we need to take a check and learn lessons from what has happened in this one. We are fortunate we have managed to turn things around and are in a much more favourable position with just a few games to go."