Alan Smith expects England U21s to kick off their campaign in a positive fashion against Finland.
Agbonlahor attitude vital to England's hopes
Tournament football will be a new experience for many of the England Under-21 players and from the moment they stepped off the plane they will have had a buzz that something big is around the corner.
I played in Sweden with the senior England side at Euro 92, a not too dis-similar experience, and I absolutely loved it. I think the young lads in Stuart Pearce's squad will enjoy it and if you've got the right character it should bring the best out of you.
It's an old cliché, but the players that aren't involved are as important as those who play in every game. The chances are that you will need them at some stage and you need everyone on side.
Some players might get a little bit homesick or a bit down if they are not involved, so the coaches will have a job to do to make sure everyone feels part of the team. Camaraderie and team spirit is vital in these situations.
All of these players know that winning this tournament would be something to cherish and it would sit proudly on any player's CV, but I think every lad in this squad would view it as a stepping stone.
These guys will be looking at this tournament as a step up into the full England squad. They all know Fabio Capello will be watching the games closely and that will provide a big incentive.
It is difficult to break into Capello's squad but there are one or two lads that he will be looking at and all of them will want to impress.
Opening fixture
Given that Spain and Germany are lying in wait after this opening fixture, a win against Finland will be very important.
As with any tournament, you don't want to lose the first game and they really should be looking to beat a Finland team that is regarded as one of the outsiders in this competition.
Scandinavian teams usually play in an "English" way and I expect to see them adopt quite a physical approach, but there's no way they should be as technically gifted as England. Anything less than a victory would be regarded as a big disappointment.
Knowing Stuart Pearce he will send them out in a positive manner and they will be in no doubt how important it is to represent your country.
Obviously you've got to be quite cute, you can't be gung-ho in the first game of a tournament, but I expect England to be well-organised and positive from the first whistle.
An early goal would do so much to calm the nerves and the longer it goes on at 0-0, it can get a little bit tense - especially for young lads.
But as Capello keeps saying, they just need to relax and play the football that they've been playing for their clubs. That's what's got them into this position so that will be good enough.
Formation
Pearce has been playing a 4-3-3 formation of late and I'd be surprised if he moved away from that in this game. I expect to see Gabriel Agbonalhor up front, supported by two of Theo Walcott, James Milner and Adam Johnson.
Walcott may have played for the senior side on Wednesday, but I don't see any problem with him starting on Monday. England might only play three games and as he hasn't played too much football over the last year I think he'll be fresh enough to start.
I'm very interested to see how Agbonalhor performs up front. He has learned to play as a lone striker for Aston Villa this season and is well capable of performing that role through the middle.
At the back, Pearce will be looking for the Manchester City lads Nedum Onuoha and Micah Richards and I think we are strong defensively.
It will be interesting to see what he does in midfield. There are plenty of ballwinners in the likes of Lee Cattermole and Fabrice Muamba - and Mark Noble will surely be important - but it will be interesting to see how much craft and creativity they can offer.
Lots of these players played two years ago and know what this competition is all about. Tournament football is all about a snowball situation. If you get one good result then confidence and beliefs builds - but if you get a stuttery start it can be difficult to move on.
A good start is vital - and I expect England to get one.
SMUDGER SAYS
England win - If all goes well I can see us winning the game 2-0, which will give the players plenty of confidence. Until I've seen Spain and Germany it's difficult to assess our chances of winning the whole tournament, but I think they will win this opening game.
SMUDGER'S STAR MAN 
Gabriel Agbonlahor - If he plays up front through the middle, his attitude will be very important. Sometimes he can be a little bit moody and appear to play in second gear, but if he's on top of his game and he really works those channels then it will push the whole team forward. He and Walcott could provide quite a threat at this level.
