All talk in first week is of drink

A GOOD start, not a great one maybe, but, enough to give promise of a great Euro `96 in the making. Next up comes the meat of the tournament, revolving around the biggest sideshow of the entire event in Saturday's Battle of Britain. But, almost perversely, all, the talk in England is of drink.

English players drinking, and everybody else seemingly not, to be precise. "All they seem interested in is a bevvy," bemoaned my Merseyside cabbie, who, like his colleagues spent the rest of his time bemoaning the absence of the spendthrift, not so temperate Irish.

The more organised Italians and the Russians prefer to arrange coaches and thus leave queues of restless cabbies with no fares.

No less than the Italian players, their supporters only have a glass of wine with their meals of course. The Spanish players, we are informed, haven't touched their supply of beer in their well stocked fridge, while hotel leaks reveal that their minerals have been regularly restocked.

Ditto all the military mentality continentals it appears. Why even the Scots, of all people, are milking their current reputation for temperance, while basking in post Dutch reflective glory in their Stratford on Avon base, Shakespeare country, of all, places. Thank heavens the republic of Ireland didn't qualify. As Terry Venables correctly stated, no one said `boo' when Jack Charlton confirmed his players had the odd beer. Well tell, we Irish wouldn't say that, would we?

Nor did it do them any harm, maintained Charlton. Or did it, in hindsight? In any case, Mick McCarthy has extolled his young squad for not "looking for a bevvy". They probably wouldn't get served one anyway.

Ultimately though Euro `96 might be remembered as a culture shock as much as a foot balling shock. The Scots, yes the Scots, have followed the lead taken by Ruud Gullit at Chelsea, where it is now accepted that drinking after strenuous activists that long now since I had a drink that I can't remember what it looks like," joked the Scottis keeper Andy Goram.

The continentals have always taken a curiously critical view of the more liberal approach of the British brethren when it comes to imbibing alcohol.

But being no paragon of virtue myself after midweek five a sides (or any other time), I'm not going to labour any further on this point. Besides it's doubtful whether all this drinking would have come to the surface, so to speak, had two penalty decisions gone the other way in the opening Group A games.

Nor will it last much longer if England win on, Saturday. But the Lord help them if greater reserves, of stamina are cited as reasons for a Scottish victory on Saturday. It does look as if the Scots accompanied by a medical team including doctors, a dietitian and physiotherapists have been more detailed in their preparations than the English.

In the long run, it will take more than good preparations to win Euro `96. Technique and tactics, physical strength and organisation, the depth of a squad and pacing oneself over three weeks and six games come into it as well and here, surely, the B sides will fall short.

Pat Nevin, the former Scottish international observed in the London Independent yesterday. "I can't help feeling that both British teams started Euro `96 at 100 mph, while the Dutch and others have to their way in.

Even the diligently prepared Scots faded in the last 15 minutes" against Holland, a consequence of superior Dutch technique and passing. The British sides play at full tilt all the time, in their protracted club season as well. Craig Brown has spoken of the need to peak three times. The Dutch and co have yet to peak.

That is why the opening tier of matches can be notoriously misleading and therefore make it hazardous to jump to too many conclusions. The Germans and Italians, masters at this stuff, have plenty more in the tank. The impression is that the French and Croats have as well. Maybe Spain as well. Holland are the enigmas.

With two players suspended entering the second phase of games, and 47 others one caution away, from one, strength in depth will become an important factor quicker than expected.

Criticism of UEFA's diktats and refereeing rigidity have been commonplace, none being more vocal than Berti Vogts, whose German side look the biggest and most physical in the tournament. Frees have also come too readily, and the advantage has shifted at times alarmingly to the divers. But, interestingly, while yielding twice the number of bookings as the first eight games of Euro `92, these eight games have also yielded five more goals 13 as opposed to eight.

With the second tier of eight games to be completed by the end of the weekend, the picture will become clearer still. Wembley's momentous sideshow will be over and a great Euro `96 beckons.