Ally Robertson: Strong start crucial for West Brom this season

You’ve made it through your final warm-up match after weeks and weeks of training and there’s just the final few touches to be done on the training field.

During the season, the games can come thick and fast, so the build-up to the first one is always unique.

As a player, you just can’t wait to get started, can’t wait to get back on to that pitch and feel the roar of the crowd.

It’s always crucial to get off to a good start, but for Albion, this year, it is more important than ever.

Even though Bournemouth finished above the Baggies last season, this home fixture is one we should be winning.

There is nothing worse than starting with a bad performance, it knocks your confidence, and worries the fans. Victory on Saturday will put everyone at ease.

And considering that Burnley, Stoke, Brighton, and West Ham all follow – it’s important to pick up points in these first five games.

Last season we were clinical against the teams below us, and stuttered against the big seven.

That was somewhat of a departure to the previous seasons under Tony Pulis, when we would spring the odd shock result against the big teams and struggle to assert ourselves against our rivals.

Bournemouth are a pretty team who like to pass the ball around, but we can’t let them keep the ball for 70 minutes of the game on Saturday.

It’s important we show some desire, push and extra 10 yards up the pitch, and attempt to dictate to them. We are at home, we need to be positive, and show them who’s boss.

Pulis doesn’t have that many selection decisions to make because the squad is so thin and there are a couple of injuries that will probably rule out Gareth McAuley and James Morrison.

One decision he does have to make is whether to stick with Salomon Rondon up front or play Hal Robson-Kanu instead.

I would personally keep the Venezuelan in for now, because dropping him would dent his confidence.

But Robson-Kanu has certainly closed the gap over the past few months – hopefully the competition will do both of them good.

Because we’ll still be relying on set-pieces, I hope there’s a place in the team for Chris Brunt.

I prefer him further up the pitch, but with Jay Rodriguez looking dangerous from left wing, it might not be a bad idea to play Brunty left-back.