By Steve Cram BBC Sport commentator

So - the European Championships start on Monday, and you're feeling a little underwhelmed, right?

Don't think the competition is up to much, and put off by predictions of medal woe for Britain?

Let me change your mind.

Kluft will be the red-hot home favourite in Gothenburg

If you were to ask me about the standards at the Europeans compared to the world level, there's a couple of things to say.

First - sure, the 100 metres isn't going to be as good when it is missing the Americans.

But when was it ever? Even when European athletics was dominant, back in the 1970s, the sprints were never as good.

The Europeans have to be taken for what they are - third in the list of global championships, behind the Olympics and Worlds but ahead of the Commonwealths and various American meets.

While there are some events - like the 100m - which aren't rammed with stellar talent, there are others - like the heptathlon and decathlon - where you're going to be watching the very best in the world.

And one thing I would stress is that a European title is still a very good title to win.

Look back down the years at the gold medallists and you won't find many bad athletes in there.

Anyone who wins European gold is at the very worst in the world's top six - at the very worst.

Let's look at the men's 100m again - Francis Obikwelu is the favourite, and he's the Olympic silver medallist.

CRAM'S FIVE TO WATCH Carolina Kluft, heptathlon The big home favourite, and always a star Andrew Howe, long jump A future Olympic champion Greg Rutherford, long jump One of Britain's brightest young talents Becky Lyne A future star over both 800m and 1500m Elvan Abeylegesse, 10,000m Ready to take Paula's Euro title

Gothenburg will also be a great place for the championships.

They have got an extremely knowledgeable crowd there, and the atmosphere will be great, just as it was in 1995.

Add to the mix the four great Swedish stars - Carolina Kluft, Stefan Holm, Kajsa Bergqvist and Christian Olsson - and you have got a great championships to be at.

From the British point of view, it's not going to be as good as the last few times.

You can't get away from that. Four years ago we won seven gold medals, and 14 medals in all.

Eight years ago we won 16, nine of them gold.

But there are good reasons for that. In Munich in 2002, gold medals were won by Colin Jackson and Steve Backley.

They have now retired, and you cannot expect to replace those sort of world-class talents just like that.

Paula Radcliffe is missing pregnant, triple jumper Ashia Hansen is coming back from injury and Dwain Chambers lost his 100m gold after his doping admission.

I mentioned those Swedish stars - in eight years' time, they will all have retired, but it won't mean Swedish athletics is in crisis.

This time, Tim Benjamin and Christine Ohuruogu would have been favourites for 400m gold, only for injury to hit their chances.

Benjamin would be 400m favourite if he were fully fit

We need a few young talents to step up, and that's where the interest lies.

It's a big ask, because the standards are pretty high.

Becky Lyne has been sensational over 800m this season, and has been running well under two minutes every time she's been out - but she's still got three brilliant Russians ahead of her.

Thinking about this the other day, I came up with 14 possible medal chances for GB, and that was with absolutely everything coming off.

So realistically, I think we'll get about eight.

If we reach the 10 predicted by UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins, we should be delighted.

Even a single gold would be a result for Britain.

I know that sounds terrible, but it's a reflection of the position we're in.

It won't get any worse for Britain, I don't think. We'll be on the up from here on.

Anyway, it's even worse for Germany.

And if that isn't a cheering thought for some British fans, I don't know what is...