One game into his tenure as Scotland head coach, Sebastien Pocognoli has already demonstrated he can fix problems on the hoof. But the Belgian now faces a different kind of examination when his side meet Switzerland at Hampden on Tuesday night.
After a sluggish first half in Saturday's 0-0 Nations League draw in Slovenia, Pocognoli made tactical tweaks that transformed his team's performance. The new-look Scotland were disjointed and fortunate to be level at the break, but emerged after half-time with purpose and aggression.
First-half struggles and tactical fixes
Pocognoli admitted his side had expected Slovenia to play differently. "We expected Slovenia to play in one way and we had the picture of what they would produce but they were slightly different," he said. "So, at half time, the players needed the information to produce what we wanted."
The manager's adjustments worked. "In the second half we were much better and played the game we wanted to play," he added.
McBurnie's return and the goal drought
Oli McBurnie and Robbie Ure led the line in Ljubljana, but Scotland fired blanks again. McBurnie, returning after five years out of the squad following a falling out with Steve Clarke, worked tirelessly but still failed to score, extending his run to 17 caps without a goal.
Pocognoli defended the Hull City striker. "He played well. In the first half when it was difficult, he was swimming to find a position but in that moment you either give up or you stick together and fight for the team," he said. "Oli never gave up. I cannot be negative about this game because he missed a chance."
Fans and the Hampden Roar
Pocognoli also paid close attention to the 1,000 or so Scotland supporters inside the Stozice Stadium. "I need to learn what they are like," he said. "In the first half, we got what we expected because we could not play forward and you heard it in the crowd."
Now he hopes for a first taste of the Hampden Roar. "If we can produce this against Switzerland, maybe the last details will come from the crowd," he said. However, he acknowledged the risk of a stodgy start. "As long as we continue to create chances, you bring the fans alive. If we can produce the second half performance at home I think it will be OK," he added.
