Nathan Patterson has called on Scotland supporters to show patience with new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli, insisting the team is moving in the right direction despite a difficult start to the Nations League campaign.
The Belgian is still searching for his first win after the national team drew away to Slovenia in his opening game, before a 10-man Scotland side lost at home to Switzerland on Tuesday night.
Patterson acknowledged that significant changes within the squad mean results will not come immediately.
Patience needed after tough start
“It's not going to happen overnight,” Patterson said. “There's loads of new ideas and new faces as well. It's going to take time, so everyone needs to just be patient.
“Ultimately, the manager spoke to us afterwards and was happy with the way we kept going.”
The Torino defender also moved to defend Jack Hendry, whose first-half red card left Scotland up against it against Switzerland.
Hendry not the fall-guy
“These things happen,” Patterson said. “It's not really his fault.
“They broke through us and these things happen in football. It is not really his fault. They broke through our press. It was through the middle of the pitch in a key area.
“The boy broke and he has done well to buy the foul. He (Jack) is really unlucky.”
Patterson felt for Pocognoli, as the Hampden defeat was not the start he had hoped for, with the sending off preventing the team from playing as planned.
“There is disappointment there. The gameplan he had in mind we didn't really stick to that,” Patterson said.
“You have something in your mind on how you want to play. When you go down to 10 it nullifies everything you have in your mind. The spirit we showed—but we knew we had that.
“It was harder to press them. You didn't want to get too exposed. We had to shuffle in our shape. We found it difficult.”
Looking ahead to North Macedonia
The full-back is confident Scotland will show more of Pocognoli's influence when they travel to face North Macedonia in their next Nations League fixture on Saturday.
“It is a new manager and new staff,” Patterson added. “There have been a lot of new faces in the team. It has been good and everyone is buying into the process. You can see the ideas.
“We will look at things we can work on. We will look towards North Macedonia and see where we can get a result.”
Patterson also revealed that securing Scotland's right-back slot was a major factor in his summer move to Torino from Everton, where he hoped to get more first-team football.
“Yeah, I was looking forward to just getting away (in the summer window). It's a new challenge for me. I think it'll do me good in terms of my development as a player,” he said.
“I obviously want to play for Scotland as well. That was one of the main reasons I wanted to leave Everton as well, to play more football and enjoy it again.”
The 24-year-old has alternated with Aaron Hickey for the Scotland slot in recent seasons and knows he must deliver week-in, week-out in Serie A to become the main man under Pocognoli.
New challenge in Italy
Patterson has swapped Merseyside for Turin, where he has two new managers to impress in Pocognoli and Torino chief Ignazio Abate.
“It is exciting times,” he added. “It is a new challenge with Scotland and also on a personal level in Italy.
“I am looking forward to working with two new managers and I am enjoying it so far.”
He has been helped by the presence of fellow Scotland international Che Adams at Torino, who has helped him settle on and off the pitch.
“Che is a massive player for us,” Patterson said. “He's got great quality. I think he would really suit this system well.
“He has really helped me since I moved as well. It's been great to have a familiar face to help me settle in.”
Patterson's early Serie A exposure has seen him face Fiorentina and Bologna, and he joked that Scotland teammate Billy Gilmour has been giving him Italian lessons.
“It is a lot different to what I am used to,” the former Rangers player explained. “But it's exciting to have a fresh start and to be learning a new language as well.
“Billy (Gilmour) has been trying to give me tips and we do speak in Italian quite a lot, but I'm obviously still learning. It's a new challenge for me.”
Serie A has become a haven for Scotland internationals in recent seasons, with Scott McTominay and Gilmour at Napoli, Lewis Ferguson at Bologna, and Kieron Bowie and Josh Doig at Sassuolo. Patterson believes the level is comparable to the English Premier League.
“I think the level in Serie A has stepped up this year as well,” he said. “You can see some of the top players going out there as well.
“So the league is great and obviously there's a lot of faces in the squad that are over there. It is exciting times.
“The overall standard and quality is the same as it was in England. It's just different with the heat and stuff like that.”
Competition for right-back spot
Hickey started in Pocognoli's first game in Slovenia, while Patterson got the nod against Switzerland. Celtic defender Coby Donovan is also in the squad for the first time.
“Yeah, I've played there (right wing-back) a lot, especially for Scotland. Obviously, it's different under a different manager,” Patterson said.
“But I think in this team, a few players can play that position as well, so it's exciting we've got competition.”
Patterson acknowledged the Swiss defeat was a sore one but insisted there were mitigating circumstances after Hendry's early sending off. Switzerland reached the last eight of the World Cup and are a proven top-15 nation.
“Switzerland are a top side, we knew that. You just need to look at what they did in the World Cup in the summer,” he said.
“That's the standard we want to try and push on and reach. We were looking forward to testing ourselves against them, but we never got a chance to gauge ourselves. It was a long night for us.
“We obviously had a game plan, but that kind of went out the window after just 10 minutes.
“It was just kind of backs-to-the-wall, show some spirit and work as a team to try and stay in the game for as long as we could.
“In the end, you have to credit Switzerland. They are a top side with a lot of quality.”
Pocognoli has replaced Steve Clarke and introduced a more attacking style of play, revamping the squad. Patterson believes there is plenty to be positive about.
“I think there's lots of new faces. There's lots of positivity around the place and in the stands as well,” he said.
“The fans have seen a different style of football. It was obviously tough to show that fully against Switzerland after the red card. But I think going forward, it's exciting times.
“We were looking forward to going up against a top side and really showing what we could do.
“It's just frustrating because the red card so early obviously just changed everything. But we showed spirit.
“I thought the fans really stayed behind us for the full game, which is a positive sign.”
