Scotland v Denmark preview

The Scotsman

Mark Atkinson and Alan Pattullo look ahead to Scotland’s World Cup qualifiers.

Transcript

00:00Hello and welcome to Leicester Hamden, the Sports Manager of the Scots from Mark Hackensy.

00:05We're almost done with Alan Patullo and we're here ahead of a really big couple of days or weeks

00:11we can say for the Scotland national team for the world.

00:14We'll qualify and start firstly against Denmark on Friday and then against Belarus on Monday, both away from home.

00:22Alan, we can't really underestimate how big a moment this is for the Scotland national team.

00:28We've not qualified for the World Cup since 1998.

00:31And there's real optimism that manager Steve Clarke has got a group of players that could negotiate this group and get them.

00:38Yeah, absolutely. We've been speaking to a couple of players already today this morning at the press conference.

00:48Ryan Christie and Aaron Hickey. Both players from different sides of the spectrum aren't they?

00:54Ryan Christie's trying to get to a World Cup. Looking at this campaign, I'd like to be the last chance for Ryan Christie potentially.

01:02I know he's just got 30. But Aaron Hickey at the other end, obviously he's desperate to reach a major final,

01:09having missed out in the Euros due to injury. But hopefully he'll have a few more chances to get to a World Cup.

01:16But looking at this group and the nature of the qualifying group, given that it's just over 11 or so weeks,

01:24and it's just involved six games, the short, sharp nature of it might work to Scotland's advantage.

01:30It's a unique qualification, isn't it? Because we're playing over a spell of three months, six matches, only four teams,

01:38and we can't discount Denmark either. And Greece either. We've got two huge matches on the horizon,

01:44but it's going to be an unlikely scrap to get there, isn't it? There are a few teams that think they should be at lock-up.

01:49Yeah, absolutely. We talked earlier, Mark. Denmark, obviously, I would suggest favourites.

01:55Greece are a coming team of Europe. Scotland got a taste of what they can offer at Hampden earlier this year.

02:05So I think they're a potential group of winners as well. So Scotland, unfortunately,

02:12we could easily finish top of this group. Possibly we could finish bottom.

02:16Obviously, Belarus are the team who you'd hope to gain six points from,

02:22but Scotland have been in this position before, as we talked earlier about as well.

02:28Two very different nature of challenges coming up over the next few days.

02:32First of all, against Denmark at the Parking Stadium, this tight, steep-sided stadium in Copenhagen,

02:39full of 50,000 passionate Danish fans going from there to behind closed doors against Belarus in Hungary.

02:48It's a real fascinating contrast between the circumstances.

02:53So you're a very different excitement, aren't you?

02:56Given what's at stake, what is the baseline expectation of Scotland?

03:01Yeah, I was, I think, at least three points.

03:08That would be a win against Belarus, so what would you take?

03:11Three points, obviously, against Denmark as well.

03:14Four points, and I would suggest a draw in Copenhagen would be a fantastic result as well,

03:18just to get this campaign up and running.

03:21And I was looking back to the last time Scotland reached the World Cup in 1998.

03:27The campaign lasted 406 days, I think it was.

03:31I compared to 74 days, which is going to be the length of time Scotland had to qualify.

03:37On this occasion.

03:38So it's a very, yeah, very different, very different.

03:41And in some regards, Ryan Christie was talking earlier, he said it's a good thing because the

03:46team are, it's a short, sharp, you know, the team are there.

03:50It will be the same team at the start of the campaign as it will be at the end, possibly.

03:53While beforehand, teams will be changing over the course of two years, players will be coming and going.

03:59But on the other side of the coin, I suppose, obviously, if it creates a bad injury, in the next couple of weeks,

04:05they could miss the entire campaign.

04:07So, interesting, interesting to see what happens.

04:10They're training behind us right now.

04:11We saw a couple of faces, one of your faces, Ben Ganondoke being one of them.

04:16A lot of excitement about him, George Hurst there as well, and also Kieran Bowie, who

04:20had a head striker coming in.

04:22Steve Clarke's got lots of options there in the final third.

04:25The squad is capable against the World Cup as well.

04:28We've got the tools there to do.

04:30Ben, absolutely, absolutely.

04:31Bowie, Kieran Bowie, you mentioned, very interesting.

04:33In addition to the squad, he started, excuse me, fantastically with heads.

04:37I was looking back at 50 years ago this week, Scotland went to Copenhagen to play Denmark

04:41in a European championship qualifier, and a hit striker.

04:45A hit striker scored a winner that night in a 1-0 win, Joe Harper.

04:49So, yeah, that could be an omen for Kieran Bowie perhaps coming on, or even starting.

04:54In Copenhagen on Friday night.

04:57Could be wind and bikes.

04:58Who knows, Alan?

04:59Transwind is still open.

05:00And on that note, the Scotland players are training, and we'll be fine-tuning preparations,

05:06I'm sure, ahead of what are two huge matches against Denmark and Belarus.

05:10We'll have all the coverage on scottsman.com and on YouTube, Alan is heading over to Denmark

05:14and waiting to speak for myself in heaven.

05:16Let's get back in a minute.

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