Denmark World Cup 2018 team guide: tactics, key players and expert predictions
This article is part of the Guardian’s 2018 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who have qualified for Russia. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 14 June.
For Danes it feels a bit strange going into a major tournament without Morten Olsen. The former player and national coach has had, by some distance, the greatest influence on Danish football over the past five decades. During the 1970s and 1980s he was a great leader and captain of the national team that enchanted the world with attack-minded football, especially at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. And then, from 2000 to 2015, he was the national coach.
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But everything must come to an end and after failing to reach to consecutive tournaments Olsen quit and the Danish Football Federation appointed the Norwegian Åge Hareide, the only coach to have won the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian championships. Hareide, a former Manchester City player, has kept the Danish tradition of playing attacking football but has changed the tactics and the philosophy drastically. In his mind he had one job: to get the best out of Christian Eriksen.
“When I see a great player I will give that player all the freedom in the world to use his skills,” Hareide told Jyllands-Posten a few months before the World Cup.
Denmark do not play Dutch- and Spanish-inspired possession football any more with endless – and sometimes pointless – passing. The style is direct, aggressive and fast. This has created space for Eriksen and the Tottenham midfielder was extremely important for Denmark during the qualifiers. In 21 games under Hareide Eriksen has scored 16 goals. In 57 matches with Olsen as manager he managed six.
Denmark also use the physical advantages of their players now. Players such as Simon Kjaer, Andreas Bjelland, Thomas Delaney, Yussuf Yurary Poulsen and Mathias “Zanka” Jørgensen are big and strong, with the Werder Bremen midfielder Delaney, especially, a threat from set pieces (opposing defenders seem to forget about him as they focus on Denmark’s central defenders).
Denmark can and will press aggressively in the opponents’ half but our football heritage has not been forgotten. Therefore Denmark often end games having dominated possession. The difference now is that every pass needs to count. It needs to have a purpose.
A late injury to Bejlland means that Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen is likely to start together with Sevilla’s Kjaer. In the midfield William Kvist has been heavily criticised for being too old and too slow. The holding midfielder has lost his position in the starting lineup at FC Copenhagen, which threatens his place in the Danish XI, but he did have a superb game as Denmark won 5-1 in Dublin to secure their place in Russia and Hareide could keep faith in him.
One worrying aspect of the pre-World Cup friendlies was that Pione Sisto was poor. He is likely to keep his place in the starting XI but can probably not afford any more below-par performances. On the plus side Denmark did not concede against neither Sweden (0-0) nor Mexico (2-0).
Probable starting XI
Denmark probable starting XI
Which player is going to surprise everyone at the World Cup?
Nicolai Jørgensen has had two good seasons at Feyenoord, scoring regularly, and may be ready to step up a level. He will have good service at the World Cup and if he is on top form a move to a bigger league might beckon. Had eight goals in 31 international games going into the World Cup.
Which player is likely to disappoint?
Perhaps it will be Christian Eriksen. How can’t he with the weight of Danish expectations on his shoulders after almost singlehandedly securingWorld Cup qualification? Eriksen’s girlfriend, Sabrina, is expected to give birth to the couple’s first child just before Denmark’s first game in Saransk against Peru and that could play on his mind too.
What is the realistic aim for Denmark at the World Cup and why?
The draw was kind to Denmark, with Peru from pot two and Australia from pot four. The general feeling in Denmark seems to be that Peru have little World Cup experience and a team with players at smaller clubs, and that Australia have a new head coach after a weak qualification tournament. So, as far as the Danes are concerned, Hareide’s team are the favourites to go through from the group behind France. A game in the round of 16 against Croatia or Argentina is in sight.
Troels Henriksen writes for Jyllands-Posten.
Follow him on Twitter here.
Click here for a profile of Denmark’s Pione Sisto.