"I have come up against Neal a few times and he knows what he is doing, and with his assistant Neil Cox they form a formidable partnership," said Curle
"They have good knowledge of football and know how to manage a team and a football club.
"Week in, week out now, Notts County are the big fish in that division which again comes with different expectations.
"That can lead to a different mindset, a different approach to games, when that expectation is on them not only externally, but internally as well.
"It will come as a welcome relief to them that they go into Sunday's game not being the favourites."