Fresh from completing a £25million move from Liverpool to Bournemouth, Ben Gannon Doak probably had an extra spring in his step with he met up with his Scotland team-mates earlier in the week.
A fresh start with a new club where he will play more regularly, the benefits of the move hardly needed to be spelled out to Steve Clarke and the Tartan Army.
A player who they missed so badly when he picked up an injury at the turn of the year, Gannon Doak is now back fully fit again.
He played a full part in Liverpool’s pre-season before making the move to Bournemouth. He is ready and raring to go, yet there’s still a weird reluctance from Clarke.
A reluctance to offer Gannon Doak the platform that his talents deserve. He might only be 19 years old, but he has already proven himself to be Scotland’s x-factor. The difference-maker. Our point of difference in attack.
In a World Cup qualifying campaign where the games come thick and fast over a two-month burst, we don’t have time to waste.
Gannon Doak had to wait until the 83rd minute before getting into the action in Copenhagen
The £25m Bournemouth man shows no fear as he jumps into combat with Joachim Andersen
Lyndon Dykes had a typically physical match as Scotland’s focal point up front
Doak is not Scotland’s future. If we are to reach next summer’s finals, he is also the present in the here and now. He has to be in the team.
Even when he came off the bench last night for the final 10 minutes or so, the pace and dynamism he bring to this Scotland team was plain for all to see.
Taking a point from the opening match against the Danes in Copenhagen represents a positive start for Scotland in this campaign, of that there’s no doubt.
Had you offered that outcome to Clarke at the start of proceedings at Parken Stadium, he would have bitten your hand off.
But given how deeply unimpressive the Danes were over the 90 minutes, might this actually prove to be a missed opportunity?
For Scotland, this was a game that was there to be won. Clarke will take pride in the performance of his team. They defended well and looked solid throughout.
Steve Clarke was content with his team’s display as they opened up with a creditable point
But with Greece already looking like they could run amok at the top of the section, it already looks like it could be a fight between Scotland and Denmark for second place.
Gannon Doak is the player Scotland need to unleash if we are to make serious inroads. We don’t have time to be parked on the bench.
Starting with the trip to face Belarus on Monday, Clarke needs to find a way of getting the young winger in the team.
When Scotland last made the trip to Copenhagen in September 2021, they were blown away by a slick Denmark side who scored twice in the opening 15 minutes before hitting cruise control to see out a 2-0 win.
The Danes were a very different proposition back then, having reached the semi-finals of the Euros just a couple of months prior to that encounter.
This current vintage are nowhere near that level. Despite still boasting quality up front in Mika Biereth and Kasper Dolberg, there was a distinct lack of pace and creativity in the home side.
Angus Gunn collects the ball under pressure from summer Celtic signing target Kasper Dolberg
On loan at Motherwell a couple of years ago, Biereth now plays his club football for Monaco and, remarkably, scored three hat-tricks across the second half of last season.
Dolberg, of course, was the subject of recent transfer interest from Celtic before making the decision to leave Anderlecht and head back to former club Ajax.
But despite the firepower up front, the Danes were blunt with their use of the ball and it became abundantly clear just how much they miss Christian Eriksen pulling the strings in midfield.
Scotland’s use of the ball wasn’t overly clever at times either. Especially in the first half, they gave it away really cheaply at times, often putting themselves under pressure or wasting good field position.
You had to question why Billy Gilmour was parked on the bench. Gilmour remains Scotland’s most technically proficient midfielder.
His ability to lend the ball to team-mates and take it back again offers a calming influence in these tough matches away from home.
Ryan Christie had Scotland’s best chance with a back post header but flashed it across goal
But Scotland grew into the match. Their shape and discipline was good. John Souttar and Grant Hanley were solid at the back, Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams dovetailed up front, while Ryan Christie was lively on the left.
It was Christie who spurned the best chance of the first half when he skewed a header wide of the target when he should really have tested Kasper Schmeichel at the very least.
The game was there for Scotland. There was nothing to fear in the Denmark team. Angus Gunn was largely untested despite his ring-rust since joining Nottingham Forest.
At the start of the campaign, a trip to Copenhagen on the opening night looked like it would probably be the toughest assignment of the group for Clarke’s side.
But that theory already looks misplaced. Without question, it will be Greece who are the team to beat in this group, confirmation of which was served as they led Belarus 4-0 by half-time last night.
Scotland simply must utilise Gannon Doak more if they are to make an impact in this campaign
Scotland won’t need to be reminded of the quality the Greeks possess after the rout at Hampden only a few months ago.
But that was a match where Gannon Doak did not play due to injury. He’s now back fully fit and available and, with that, Scotland should be a different proposition.
Clarke will rightly take a lot of heart from this performance. All in all, it’s a good point to start the campaign. But there is more to come from this Scotland team.
In Gannon Doak, they have a flying machine. There is simply no time for him to continue to be parked on Scotland’s bench.
