WITH THE build ups to these major tournaments getting longer and longer each time, it's also becoming a greater relief when we finally reach the point where we can put the talking behind us and get down to watching some football.

In England a great deal is expected of this championship in general but, more particularly, a great deal is expected of the host team. Although on the face of it, England against Switzerland does not look the most attractive game to kick off Euro `96, it will nevertheless be a very interesting contest.

England's task at the group stage is far from easy and though they should make it safely through to the knockout games, they really need a win this afternoon to get them on their way. For the Swiss a draw against the host nation would be a decent enough result. Artur Jorge, the team manager, will probably settle for the chance to have a real crack at Scotland in the last match, with their chances of making it through still alive.

For Terry Venables, getting things under way against the Dutch would have been preferable to this. In that case, his side would have known exactly what they had to do in the tougher games in order to qualify. As it is, they will have to set the pace from the first whistle.

This Swiss side hasn't looked too happy with itself since the departure of manager Roy Hodgson and if they are forced to chase the ball from the outset they are unlikely to cope with the way they will have to adapt their game.

For England, if Paul Ince can look after Sforza and manage to feed Gascoigne, then Gascoigne can set up the chances for Sheringham and Shearer up front.

The Blackburn striker will be especially important to England over the next couple of weeks. He is a terribly honest player and in fact, this has had something to do with his poor performances in the national side. He seems to do far too much work for the side as a whole, rather than concentrating on what he is best at getting into the area and finding the net.

This could be a tight game, but nobody in the English camp will worry unduly about that if the result goes their way, as it should. If not, then the possibility remains that, particularly in view of the way club results have gone over the past few seasons, the fans will lose any faith in the team and the pressure will mount. If that happens the role of England's greatest asset, Wembley, will be negated and the side might quickly find themselves in trouble.

Of Sunday's games, the best looks to be the meeting of Spain and Bulgaria at Elland Road where both sides will be keen to pick up some early points in what appears to be a very difficult group.

Traditionally the Spanish have promised a great deal coming into these tournaments only to disappoint on the day. But this is a different looking team with no particularly outstanding stars to dominate, but a strong panel overall which is able to function well together as a unit.

The Bulgarians performed very well in the World Cup in the USA where they beat the Germans on the way to the semi finals, but a few key players seem to have peaked at that tournament.

It should be cat and mouse but the Spaniards look capable of handling this sort of opposition defensively, while they are a neat side going forward and have grown in confidence through the qualifying stages.

Germany against the Czechs has the same sort of ring to it that England against Scotland has, and it's certainly not the match the tournament favourites would have picked for their opening clash.

On the face of it, though, the Germans will be better prepared. Having seen the Czechs in Prague against Ireland, I can't help feeling that they have something of a soft underbelly to their play and while they will probably attempt to restrict the freedom the German forwards get up front, I'm not sure they really have what it takes to manage that away from home.

Even without Klinsmann who is suspended for the first game the Germans will be a powerful challenge for any side. While this is basically the same team what played in America they have actually benefited from the absence of Matthaeus, who really played too deep for a team which has become more positive since his departure.

Finally, the holders Denmark will feel the pressure as they step out against Portugal in Sheffield, although there are few observers who really expect them to go close to retaining their trophy.

They have three of the best players in the whole event in the form of the Laudrup brothers and Peter Schmeichel and their plan is likely to revolve around giving the brothers the ball and hoping that their goalkeeper's abilities help them to stay in the game if things aren't going too well.

Overall, though, they have too many ordinary players and the Portuguese, with the likes of Rui Costa, Paulo Sousa and Fernando Couta to call upon, should have a good first outing and, overall, a fairly good tournament

Much has already been said, but there really is no underestimating how much of an effect the shop window factor will have on the players involved here over the next couple of weeks.

The sort of money that can be earned in the Premiership these days is now comparable to any of the European leagues, and there will certainly be no lack of motivation for those internationals who are out of, or approaching the end of, their contracts and who know that the men who control the purse strings of the big English clubs are sitting in the stands.

To some extent, though, the tone of the competition, of the whole event, will be set by England's performance today. It's up to them to go out and show the rest of the teams that they mean to win this trophy, and to do it in style.

A great match at Wembley today could nicely set up three weeks of football that we can all sit back and savour.