Scotland: How did Steve Clarke's side turn World Cup campaign around?
- Published
John Souttar's first Scotland goal put his team on the path to victory against Denmark
Six wins on the bounce. The best winning streak since 1930. A home World Cup play-off semi-final secured. Does it get much better for Scotland fans?
Well, hopefully it does come March next year, and Scotland have secured their ticket to Qatar. But, right now, the Tartan Army are being dazzled by a Steve Clarke side that seems to be getting stronger with every game.
Yet, for a chunk of this campaign, such peerless form seemed a long way off amid laboured performances at home as well as away in Denmark.
So how did they turn it around?
Sluggish start and Danish doing
Scotland's win against Denmark meant the second-placed Scots finished the campaign on 23 points, just four behind the Danes and with only one game lost. That'll do nicely...
Yet, eight months ago, a man called Sasa Kalajdzic threatened to put an end to their World Cup campaign before it had really got going, with the Stuttgart striker netting twice at Hampden for Austria in the group opener.
Scotland fought back both times for a draw, and also salvaged a point three days later away to Israel. But two points from two games games was far from an ideal start and already their hopes were being written off.
After a disappointing Euro 2020 finals, where Scotland claimed just one point from three games, a torturous 90 minutes in Copenhagen then followed as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat that should have been at least double that figure by the break.
With the only win coming against minnows Faroe Islands, it left Scotland with five points from a possible 12, fourth in the table and two points off Austria and Israel. Not many could see what was about to unfold.
Scotland were completely outclassed when they faced Denmark in September
Fantastic five turns to super six
Scotland needed five big results. And they got all of them.
First, Lyndon Dykes' goal sneaked a 1-0 home win against Moldova in early September and the Queens Park Rangers striker was on the spot again in Austria three days later, this time netting a penalty in Vienna as VAR became Scotland's friend.
Now a play-off spot appeared to be Scotland's to lose. But the footballing gods have never allowed Scotland to have things the easy way, have they?
Not once, but twice on October nights the Tartan Army were put through agonies before late, late wins were secured over Israel and the Faroes.
And then, on to Moldova. Goals from Nathan Patterson and Che Adams - and a penalty save from Craig Gordon - ensured Scotland's play-off spot in Chisinau on Friday in arguably Scotland's most commanding and comfortable performance of recent years.
Then, on to Denmark once more, the side aiming to finish the group without dropping a single point. Kasper Hjulmand's men were sent homeward to think again with goals from John Souttar and Adams doing the damage. Cue bedlam.
How have Scotland turned things around?
David Marshall's place in Scottish football folklore is secured for ever after that night in Belgrade a year ago, but he has been ousted from the number one spot by Hearts goalkeeper Gordon, who is showing no signs of ageing even as he approaches his 40th birthday.
While the old guard are doing their bit, new blood has invigorated this group. Patterson and Billy Gilmour made their international debuts just before Euro 2020. The former, who scored his first Scotland goal against Moldova, has dislodged Stephen O'Donnell at right wing-back despite a lack of playing time at Rangers. Gilmour's struggle to get a game on loan at Norwich City looks bewildering the more he stars for Scotland.
You then add Adams, who with two goals in two games, looks more and more comfortable at this level with every passing game.
Scotland's Che Adams stretched the play superbly for Scotland against the Danes at Hampden
With injuries and suspensions playing havoc in recent international breaks, the likes of Adams, Jack Hendry, Liam Cooper and Grant Hanley - so often castigated in a Scotland shirt - are playing the best football of their careers.
Clarke's side are also more potent in attack. They have scored 10 goals in their last six games compared to just one in four before that.
It's not just that they are taking more chances, they are creating more too. They have had 85 shots at goal in the last six games - 21 more than they had mustered in their previous five.
Defensively, they have faced fewer shots at goal too - 44 in the five games before facing Denmark compared to 47 in the five before that, with five clean sheets in their last six games.
'We'll remember this one' - analysis
Former Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes
It was a perfect night's work from the manager. Scoring off a set play, some top performances, never had a failure.
People talked about the importance of the game and the booking scenario (potential suspensions) with what players should play. But, looking at the group section, it was so important we won that game to give ourselves every chance.
Former Scotland manager Craig Levein
What a brilliant performance. Some of the play was fantastic.
It was a joy to watch the running and effort from those players tonight on the big Hampden pitch. From start to finish, a merited win.
Former Scotland centre-half Willie Miller
We'll remember this one long into the distance.
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