IT IS strangely all quiet on the western front.

With a mere 16 days to the opening of the 2012 UEFA European Championships in Poland and the Ukraine, it isamazing that you could almost hear a pin drop whenever the event is mentioned in England.

And in an eerie way I am becoming possessed with the idea that this is not just a good thing but a very promising trend.

The fact that the national media seems to have bought in wholesale to report every last cough, spit and hiccup of the Olympics – I may be dreaming it but I am sure we have been informed of the colour of the underwear of every one of the torchbearers so far – it seems to have reduced the UEFA competition to almost an after-thought.

Obviously other factors have come into play, not least the fact that England were for so long left in limbo while a manager was found, which was followed by a collective sense of being under-whelmed when that new supremo was revealed to be Roy Hodgson.

Also football followers seem to be struggling to get their breath back after a stunning season’s finale.

The Premier League went down to the last kick of the ball as Manchester City won the title on goal difference, while Chelsea have been crowned kings of Europe by actually beating the Germans in a penalty shoot-out.

There is almost a feeling that whatever happens out in eastern Europe, it is going to be a tall order for it to match what has just recently past.

So with little over a fortnight to go to the finals there has yet to be any showing of the drum-beating jingoism and arrogant misplaced over-confidence that usually accompanies the build up to England playing in an international tournament.

Now keep this to yourself because I don’t want to spark any kind run on the Euros, but doesn’t the complete lack of expectation actually make you feel England might do quite well?

While he may have been depicted as the perfect Football Association stooge – i.e. he wears a blazer, shirt and tie with suitable assurance – Hodgson has a proven knack of pulling teams expected to achieve little together and find a degree of success.

And the two teams that produced those nerve-tingling finales in Manchester and Munich will provide the backbone of the England squad.

Given that Messrs Hart, Barry, Lescott and Milner of champions City and the conquerors of Europe Chelsea are represented by John Terry, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, then there is half a chance of England having half a chance as it were.

But let’s keep all this to ourselves and not jinx anything.

The Panini stickers for the tournament turned up in my local shop a couple of days ago but vanished from the counter soon afterwards without the box even being opened and there was never even a hint of the sticker albums being available at any stage – so I can only conclude that we are all supposed to pretend the 2012 European Championships are not happening.