Denmark 2-0 Scotland: Hosts 'blew us away' with intensity, says Steve Clarke
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'A few years ago, that could have been four or five'
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke says Denmark "blew us away" with their intensity in a World Cup qualifying defeat in Copenhagen.
Clarke's men conceded twice in the space of 93 first-half seconds and were lucky to get to the break two down.
The Scots improved after the interval, but the damage was done in a sobering opening period.
"Conceding two goals in quick succession made it a long night for us," Clarke told Sky Sports.
"We didn't give ourselves a platform and it took us 30 minutes before we got a feel for it. By that time the game had gone."
Did Clarke get selection wrong?
With both right-back options in the squad - Motherwell's Stephen O'Donnell and Nathan Patterson of Rangers - ruled out because of Covid issues, Clarke deployed captain Andy Robertson out of position on the right.
But the Scotland boss insisted the decision to switch the Liverpool man away from his usual berth was not the sole reason his side failed get a foothold in the first half.
"It wasn't the personnel, it was the shape of the team," Clarke said. "We allowed Denmark to pin us back. Our midfield couldn't get close to the opposition midfield. We defended too deep. We weren't brave enough in the backline."
As Scotland's first-half heatmap shows, their lack of control and shape - allied to Denmark's pressure - prevented them posing any threat in the penalty area
The withdrawal of centre-back Scott McKenna for striker Lyndon Dykes at half-time allowed Robertson to be shifted to his natural position, with Kieran Tierney slotting into the back three.
That helped Scotland improve in the second half, and former national team manager Craig Levein believes that has been the formula to the nation's success in recent times.
"Any time we've done well under Steve, that is what we've been doing," Levein said on BBC Sportsound. "We've been getting the ball wide, throwing balls in the box and competing. This proves this is the way we should be playing."
Two huge games now await
Clarke hailed his side's "character" in an improved second half against a Denmark team "playing with great confidence", but admitted that there are few positives to take from the defeat.
The loss leaves Scotland fourth in Group F, with a must-win game against Moldova to come on Saturday.
Victory at Hampden will set up a massive encounter away to Austria next Tuesday, and former Scotland striker Billy Dodds feels the second-half display in Denmark provides belief for the trip.
"We needed to show up second half to save face," Dodds said. "We got two up front that worked their back three.
"We gained confidence and kept the ball. It's a game we expected to lose, but in the second half we at least lost it in the right manner. Austria is a huge game for us now."
Scotland failed to make a single touch in the Denmark box in the first half but registered eight in the second period