Scotland and key rival hit by sobering World Cup realisation amid fierce scrutiny

It was a routine initially started by Lars Hogh, the legendary 'Danish keeper who played over 850 games for BK Odense. He sadly died four years ago from cancer and so the custom has become an even more fervently observed part of each day during international windows. “It’s been going since 2010,” Morten Wieghorst, the Denmark assistant manager, explained last week. “After Lars passed away, it became an even more important routine for the staff to memorise Lars. It’s a nice start to the day, even now when it is beginning to get cold again.”

Wieghorst and his colleagues, including manager Brian Riemer, will have taken a particularly bracing dip on Saturday morning. The coolness of the water temperature will have been compounded by the chill realisation that they had, the previous evening, missed the chance to put Scotland behind the black ball in their very first game of World Cup qualifying.

The Danes are a sanguine lot but the fans disappeared into the night muttering about their team’s deficiencies. A grand total of 48 crosses had been sent into the Scotland box and even when a Danish player was able to get on the end of one of these deliveries, the effort was either put wide, high or too near Angus Gunn. The hosts mustered 16 shots on goal to no avail.

As a pot three side, Steve Clarke’s visitors have been viewed by the Danes as not just an opportunity for three points. It was a requirement. But a sobering thought for both teams as they ground out a goalless draw in Parken is that neither of them looked like group winners. No, this status seems already to belong to the side who were busy putting five goals past Belarus at the same time. Greece, who Denmark meet in Athens on Monday, have their tails up. There seems little need to revise the recent assessment that they are the coming team of Europe.

Asked afterwards by a Danish journalist whether Scotland had already faced their toughest challenge, emerging with great credit as well as a point, Clarke was playfully awkward. “Toughest…so far,” he said. No one will be looking forward to the trip to Athens, including the Danes who looked, well, surprisingly ordinary. They are already fighting for their World Cup lives and probably need to win in the Greek capital to get back on track.

Five tough games left for Scotland

Of course, one game in is a little early to draw any conclusions. “Listen, five tough games left,” said Clarke. “We are under no illusions. One point tonight is a start, we know it is going to be difficult. You don’t get to the world cup easy. Obviously, it is 1998 since we were last there. It’s not easy to get to a World Cup. You have to leave everything on the pitch every single time you go for a qualifying game and, hopefully, when you get to the end your points tally is enough to get you there.”

There is at least considerable hope. It was apt that Clarke brought up France '98 since Scotland began with two away games in that qualifying campaign as well, the first of which was a 0-0 draw against Austria. Words like “sturdy” and “obdurate” were used to describe the performance, music to then manager Craig Brown’s ears no doubt. Even though they played two strikers in Duncan Ferguson and Ally McCoist, Scotland could not produce a goal in Vienna. The same applied on Friday. Two strikers, no goals, although opinions will vary on the quality drop off from McCoist and Ferguson to Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams.

While Clarke sprung some personnel surprises, with even Riemer later admitting he had expected Billy Gilmour to play, Scotland did not tell us much we did not already know. They are a team containing some outstanding talents but their limitations in the round are clear. Lack of cutting edge will continue to hurt the Scots.

It’s interesting to recall what Riemer had said on the eve of the game in reference to the opponents, who he observed had the capability of grabbing the whole hand if you offered them so much as a finger. It was a colourful way to describe what he interpreted as Scotland’s talent for profiting even if the door has been left only slightly ajar. They can take a chance and will come back for more, he noted, which made those listening with a working knowledge of Scotland’s recent history instantly question the proficiency of the Danish analysts.

Clarke’s side duly went out and demonstrated the opposite. Even when the Danes flung open the door, all but ushering their opponents through it, Scotland demurred. They could not do the necessary. John McGinn shot lamely past at the back post from a corner and Ryan Christie sent a header past the far post.

The hope is that Lyndon Dykes’ chance just after the hour mark does not turn out to be even greater cause for dismay than it was at the time. Scotland might yet be left lamenting two points dropped on the opening night. At that moment the Birmingham City striker looked every bit what he is at present: an out of touch Championship striker who’s in desperate need of a goal.

It will come, perhaps even as soon as the next game. Belarus will be reeling after being speared five times by Greece on Friday. Whether they seek to shut up shop on Monday night or else go for broke given they’re already at the stage of having little left to lose remains to be seen. Whatever happens, it’s a very different challenge for Clarke’s side. Although there will be no fans present, the scrutiny will be fierce. Scotland must avoid taking two steps back after such a promising step forward in Copenhagen.