The atmosphere may be somewhat different, however. I'm sure the Albion faithful will be almost as effusive before kick-off with the optimism that a new campaign and a decent opening result brings, but with Pompey having started their season with a home defeat, there'll be no repeat of the "love-in" of 15th May when the visiting supporters were happy to see their team lose to "send the Scummers down."

In fact, the intervening close season have been markedly different for the two clubs. While Albion have made a series of promising signings and seen only Kieran Richardson leave, Portsmouth have lost their main threat from last season, Yakubu, along with Ricardo Fuller and Patrik Berger. Their big summer signing, Laurent Robert, is arguably a more than adequate replacement for Berger providing Perrin can use his French charm to keep his notoriously volatile compatriot happy, but it remains to be seen whether loan signing, Azar Karadas, and Zambian, Collins Mbesuma, can replace the goals that Yakubu scored last season. Perrin, himself, is obviously not sure as he is continuing his search for another striker. They do, of course, still have the significant threat of Lomana LuaLua. He is an undoubted talent but is hardly prolific having netted just six times in 21 starts last term, and that was his best goal tally in a season since he hit the headlines playing for Colchester in 1999-2000.

In addition to Laurent Robert, Portsmouth's other eye-catching signings of the summer were the £2 million capture of central defender, Andy O'Brien, who joins his former Newcastle team mate, Andy Griffin, in the back four, the free transfers of former Liverpool goalkeeper, Sander Westerveld, from Real Mallorca and defender Gregory Vignal from Liverpool. All could prove useful acquisitions. Vignal, who spent last season on loan at Rangers helping them to the Scottish Championship, only made a handful of appearances for Liverpool but made 40 starts for the Ibrox side last season.

Barring any late signings, the two main threats are likely to be Robert and LuaLua. The Congolese striker was partnered by the Norwegian, Karadas, in the defeat by Spurs, a former Rosenborg striker on loan from Benfica, but Mbesuma came on as a late sub last weekend and may get a start. He was the top scorer in the South African league last season, so he cannot be ignored.

Against Spurs, Perrin played former Grimsby midfielder Richard Hughes, new Columbian signing John Viafara and Croatian striker Ivica Mornar, who spent last season on loan in France. They are all a bit of an unknown quantity as far as I am concerned, and who knows whether he'll pick them again. I'd be surprised to see Perrin play three strikers away from home, although Mornar apparently played in the middle and went off injured.

All in all, it will be a very different Portsmouth side to the one we faced back in May, not least because one of theirs is now one of ours in Diomansy Kamara. It is unclear whether he'll get a chance to face his former club, especially with the plethora of options that Robson now has.
As was said many times last season, this is a game that Albion should look to win. Both clubs are likely to be in or around the relegation fight this season and it is important to take points off your rivals (notwithstanding the fact that Albion finished bottom of the mini-league against Palace, Norwich and Southampton!), but a win will be more a statement that Albion are moving forward. The sooner we can get those first three points, the sooner confidence will build and we can start to look towards mid-table security rather than a relegation scrap.

For those reasons, Robson must field an attacking line-up, which to be fair he generally has done at home in his Albion tenure. That may mean splitting up the largely defensive midfield partnership of Wallwork and Inamoto, or perhaps ask one of them, probably Ina, to play in a more advanced role. He may also consider going without a substitute 'keeper to give more attacking options on the bench, although given Kirkland's record of injuries, he may be a little reticent.

What must definitely change from last weekend is the forward line. Neither Kanu nor Campbell offered much of a threat and, while that may have been partly down to the overall team approach to the game, there was a desperate need for some pace in the attacking line-up.

Last season, I largely advocated the usual starting two of Campbell and Horsfield. Both could hold up the play well, and Horsfield was always a willing runner. Earnshaw was always an option as a sub, but when he did start he always faded badly in the second half. Whether his fitness will have been improved by a full pre-season at the Hawthorns, I'm not sure, but I think he may be worth a start at home. Ellington is unlikely to make more than the bench this weekend as he hasn't had too much match practice yet, but he may offer the combination of strength and pace that the forward line needs.

In short, Robson still has a bit of a selection poser, but with different challenges to last week for the first home game of the season. My starting line-up would be as follows:

Kirkland; Albrechtsen, Gaardsoe, Clement, Robinson; Gera, Wallwork, Inamoto, Greening; Campbell, Earnshaw.

With Ellington (hopefully) and Kamara on the bench, Robson will have some good attacking options should goals be required in the second half.

As always with the first home game, there is a huge sense of anticipation and if we can get that first victory, it will be a fantastic day.

Boing! Boing!