COVENTRY City manager Aidy Boothroyd says the dress rehearsals are now over and he is looking forward to opening day.

City kick off their 2010/11 npower Championship against Portsmouth at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday and the Sky Blues boss said he was firmly focused on getting off to a solid start.

"Everybody has had a few months of cricket watching and the World Cup but now everyone is excited about watching their team and seeing if they can have a good season," he said.

"Whatever has happened up to now has only been a dress rehearsal for this weekend and the other 45 games plus cup ties that come after that.

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"We will have some highs and a couple of lows no doubt but it's important to see how we respond to both of those and get off to a solid start."

Portsmouth visit the Ricoh Arena having been relegated from the Premier League last season but Boothroyd added, despite Pompey's disappointments, they would still pose a tough test.

"It will be a very difficult game for us and Portsmouth are still full of names that have graced the Premier League.

"They've had their problems but sometimes that can galvanise teams but we have to concentrate on ourselves and make sure we are right on the day and if we are then we've got a good chance of getting a positive result."

Check out Aidy Boothroyd's FULL pre-match interview on Sky Blues Player NOW!!!