World Cup qualifying Group C: Scotland v Denmark
Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Tuesday, 18 November Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
The day after the night before, former Scotland strikers Billy Dodds and James McFadden discussed what unfolded on Saturday and what might be on Tuesday, when the national side host Denmark in a seismic winner-takes-all qualifier at Hampden.
In a match they thought they had to win or draw to retain hopes of automatic World Cup qualification, Scotland lost 3-2 in Greece.
But Belarus’ surprise 2-2 draw in Copenhagen means Steve Clarke’s side will still finish top of Group C if they beat the Danes.
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What went wrong in Piraeus?
How could Scotland start so poorly and finish so impressively?
“Was it because we’ve got that mindset where a point might do, so it’s cautious?” Dodds wondered.
“Maybe the cautious approach came from what we needed out of the game, but then we realised at the end, we’re desperate and we nearly did it – but it didn’t really matter in the end.
“It’s all about energy and belief. That’s when we’re at our best. It’s about having a go.”
McFadden thought “lousy defending” and “a nervousness” from their previous recent meetings with Greece contributed to Saturday’s eventful defeat.
“I thought our press was really poor,” he said. “They found it far too easy to play in the areas they wanted to play and we didn’t stop them.
“The distances were too big between defence and midfield and attack, so the press was never going to work, but then the second half started much better, much more aggressive, we were getting players forward.
“You look at Andy Robertson’s cross for Ryan Christie’s goal. Earlier in the game, he probably turns back, because it’s not perfect, it’s bouncing.
“Earlier, John McGinn wasn’t driving forward, Scott McTominay wasn’t driving forward. We are at our best when McGinn’s driving forward, when McTominay’s getting into the box, when Robertson’s getting up the line and getting crosses into the box.
“For whatever reason, the last three games have not been like that.”
Clarke said afterwards that “we need to believe in ourselves more”.
“I don’t know why they don’t believe in themselves, being the players we all know they can be,” McFadden said, recalling the struggle to beat Belarus at Hampden.
“I don’t know if it’s lack of belief, I don’t know if it’s confidence, but when you watch players and they’re doing things they don’t normally do, you start to think is it maybe time for some of these players to be replaced.
Will Clarke make changes?
Given the way Scotland came so close to a famous fightback against Greece, Dodds thinks Clarke will “probably keep the same formation” but “might tweak a couple of personnel” against Denmark.
“The question marks are probably the striker and maybe a centre-half,” he suggested. “It might be [Scott] McKenna [for Grant Hanley] to give us that pace and get us up the park.”
McFadden would not be surprised if McKenna replaced Hanley, who he thought looked “quite shaky” in Greece, but believes Clarke will stick with Che Adams up front.
Having missed a couple of games with his club through injury, Billy Gilmour stayed with Napoli for treatment and Scotland await news of whether the midfielder will be available to face Denmark.
“He’s not been with the squad and the camp, so they’re going to have one training session,” McFadden said. “I would be surprised if he starts, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he changed formation.
“He had a bit of success with the 4-4-2 in Copenhagen with [Lyndon] Dykes and Adams. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the back three again. Or a 5-4-1. It could be anything.”
Denmark were booed off at the end of their draw with Belarus, head coach Brian Riemer was furious at their performance and there is a stomach bug in their camp they fear might spread.
Dodds hopes that will give the visitors “a negative feeling” going into the game in Glasgow.
Expect ‘unbelievable’ noise at Hampden
Dodds and McFadden have been here before as players and witnessed the build-up to crunch qualification games for the national team.
McFadden recalls the “unbelievable” noise against the Netherlands in 2003 and Italy in 2007.
“I think this will be the same, the build-up, the anticipation, the fact that, if you win, you’re going to the World Cup,” he said.
“When was the last time we had an opportunity like this at Hampden? There’ll be a few sickies thrown in on the day and the day after.
“I missed a chance in that Italy game and I still think about it.”
Dodds, too, has unhappy memories – specifically of the 1999 play-off against England.
“The national anthems were incredible,” he remembers. “You couldn’t hear the English national anthem.
“David Seaman was beaten and it just crashed off the bar and straight down on the line. I still think ‘what if’, ‘what if’.”
‘It just feels like it’s our time’
McFadden points out that it is not the Dutch, Italy or England who stand in Scotland’s way this time.
“Denmark are a good side, but they’re not one of the best teams in the world,” he suggested.
McFadden admits he has concerns because “the performances have been poor” in recent matches.
“We somehow beat Greece 3-1 and we beat Belarus, so I couldn’t get on board with being negative and critical, not when you win games,” he said. “But I did feel that, if that level of performance continued, we won’t win the games we need to win.”
However, McFadden believes the mindset will be different from “the weird scenario” in Greece, where “all they talked about was a draw”.
“At one point Greece are 3-0 up and you’re thinking, ‘ah well, let’s get ready for the play-offs’. It feels like there’s something there for us and I don’t know how, it just feels like it’s our time.
“It’s got to be a positive mindset – let’s go and be great. We always have one big performance in a campaign and we haven’t had it yet – we’re saving it up for Denmark.”
Dodds, too, believes Scotland will take their chance this time.
Related topics
- Denmark
- Football
- Scotland Men’s Football Team
