Steve Clarke has issued a passionate plea to Scotland fans to roar his side into the history books when they face Denmark at Hampden Park on Tuesday night. The winner of the clash will secure automatic qualification for next summer's World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, ending Scotland's 27-year absence from the tournament.
The Scotland manager returned to Glasgow with his squad after a dramatic 3-2 defeat in Athens on Saturday. Despite the loss, the travelling supporters erupted in celebration when news filtered through that Belarus had held Denmark to a shock draw in Copenhagen, keeping Scotland's qualification hopes alive.
Clarke urged the Tartan Army to provide unwavering support from the first whistle. He said: 'We're going to need backing from the first minute at Hampden. We need positive backing.' The 61-year-old borrowed a favourite phrase for his players, asking fans to 'play with the anticipation of success and not the fear of failure'.
'I'm going to ask the Hampden crowd to do that on Tuesday night,' Clarke added. 'We need them to be with us from the first minute and - in the difficult moments in the game - we're going to need them to be especially with us. Because that's what this group of players deserves. And if we get that I'm pretty sure we can do something special.'
The manager acknowledged the quality of the Danish side, who top the group despite their draw with Belarus. However, he expressed confidence that a symbiotic relationship between players and fans could inspire a famous victory. 'The team can inspire the fans and the fans can inspire the team,' Clarke said.
