Euro 2008 comes to life

After a slow start Euro 2008 has really come to life just as Liverpool's interest in the competition grows.

Last night we saw Dirk Kuyt play a big part in the Netherlands destruction of World Champions Italy as today sees Talking Reds' adopted team Spain make their entrance in the competition.

While Xabi Alonso, who has put talk of his Liverpool future on hold until after the Championships, will be hoping to start we are unlikely to see Pepe Reina or Alvaro Arbeloa in action today against Russia.

Kuyt, I thought, was excellent for the Dutch last night, not only playing a part in two of their three goals but his overall play was very much in the vain of his performances for Liverpool in the closing half of the season which underlines his value to any side.

It may not be an attractive job that he does on that right hand side but it is an important one and his crossing ability is excellent as evidenced by Holland's third and some of Liverpool's goals this past season.

The Dutch must now be favourites for Euro 2008 having dispatched of the world champions with relative ease in Bern last night. But Germany were equally as impressive against Poland on Sunday even if the opposition weren't up to much.

Perennial favourites Spain get underway today as mentioned and with an extremely talented bunch of players including the phenomenal Torres it really is time to stop the underachievement and finally deliver.

If ever there was a time it is now. An aging France were very poor against Romania yesterday and a similarly old Italy side look in big trouble. Neither should be written off totally at this point but it isn't looking good. At the moment you would have to say the winners will come from Germany, Netherlands or Spain.

There is unlikely to be another Greece, who get underway today, like four years ago. The smaller nations haven't looked great so far. Even dark horses Croatia laboured against Austria and the Czech Republic are a shadow of that great side that could have gone all the way in Portugal four years ago.

Back in Liverpool it's been a little quiet even on the transfer front. Negotiations have opened with Roma over the possible sale of John Arne Riise but it appears that the asking price is a sticking point.

This is likely to be the same problem when it comes to off loading Peter Crouch and Jermaine Pennant and already is a problem with Xabi Alonso. But with such a limited budget not helped by owners who claimed over a £1m in expenses in the past year Benitez must sell before buying.

The action in Switzerland and Austria is proving a welcome distraction from an otherwise dull summer interjected by transfer wranglings likely to drag on at Anfield in both the sale and purchase of players right until the end of the summer.

But despite all this, thank god for Rafa and his complete commitment to the club, we really would be up the swanee without it.