Here we go it's the big one, whatever some supporters of either side may say about not caring about the other, the truth is it is the game we have all been waiting for and now with the Spygate issue settled we are raring to go.

Just over a year ago we went into this game with trepidation, under Will Still we were not firing on all cylinders, in the 4 games we had played in the Championship before that game we had won just once, drawn 2 and lost 1, we had not been convincing and Southampton supporters went into the game worried.

Pompey had made a better start, winning twice, drawing 1 and losing 1, there was unrest afoot in the Southampton camp and Pompey fancied their chances.

What we got was a sterile goalless draw where neither side seemed to have much confidence to give a goal away and lose.

But six weeks later came Tonda Eckert and things took off.

13 months on and it is Saints who go into the game above Pompey, even with a 4 point deduction we are still 2 points ahead of them and although because of this deduction the League table doesn't look good, without that deduction we would be sitting in 4th and that is something to consider when assessing how good a side Saints are.

Indeed a win on Sunday could potentially see us move into the play off places and also within 3 points of West Ham who after their draw with QPR last night are 2nd on 16 points.

It's been a long 3 week International break and at the start of it things were not looking good, we still had the FA charges for Tonda Eckert hanging over us and then it came out that Daniel Peretz and Cyle Larin had picked up injuries when away with their respective countries.

That was still the case as this week started, but by the end of it, the mood had changed by Thursday, Tonda Eckert was free to continue after being handed a suspended sentence and then came the news that both Larin & Peretz are back in training.

That saw a big sigh of relief from Southampton supporters.

So now we go into this game with a full squad, indeed even Caspar Jander might be in it according to Tonda Eckert, but we have been hearing that one since the opening day of the season.

Portsmouth have their own injury list, said to be around 9 players, however that isn't as bad as it sounds as about half of it is long term injuries so players who have either not or barely played this season.

The long term injuries might not be helping their form this season and they are not going to help them on Sunday and it is interesting to note that after 4 games last season when they arrived at St Mary's they had 7 points, after 8 games this season they are only 1 point better off, whereas we had 5 points and we have double that even after the 4 points have been deducted.

But when the whistle goes to start the game on Sunday all of this will matter not an iota, it will just be about 11 against 11 on the field and we have to have the confidence that our 11 are much better than their 11.

The truth is in this game, both sets of supporters home for a complete rout of the opposition, but in reality would enjoy an injury time 1-0 win just as much.

The good thing though is that it is now just all about the football on the field and not about events off it and hopefully that will benefit Saints.

WE are the team playing with confidence and I don't expect to see many changes from the side that played in the last game before the International break, the first that might happen is that Welington might return at left back to add some aerial power and strength, Tonda did that at Lincoln and he might do that again to combat Pompey's long ball game.

In the centre I have a feeling that Jack Stephens might return to partner Keven Schlotterbeck, to offer some organisation in the back line.

In the midfield in the centre it will be the same midfield trio of Downes, JWP & Azaz with Leo Scienza on the left, but the right hand side is up for grabs with Tom Fellows & Matsuki seemingly rotated each week.

But in a game like this it can never be just about the match itself, it is all about the build up and the supporters, Pompey fans are going to be giving it the big one about Spygate, they will be very vocal about it and we have to drown them out.

When the teams come out of the tunnel we all have to make sure that their team cannot even hear their supporters due to the noise we are making, that doesn't have to be the whole ground singing, but everyone showing Tonda Eckert & Southampton FC that they care, not just about Portsmouth, but for all the events of the last 5 months.

We have to release the pressure valves in our head and make some noise and more importantly keeping that noise going for the full 90 minutes and in these days + stoppage time.

As we did in 1996 in the FA Cup and then in the games played at St Mary's in the early 00's the crowd roared us on to some great wins and that needs to happen on Sunday.

So here we go the South Coast derby and it is THE South Coast derby accept no imitations, the only other one that could truly be called a derby is Plymouth v Exeter and that is hardly in the class of this one.

Scummers v Skates this matters on every level from tiddlywinks upwards to professional football.

Via Reuters