Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli has spoken directly to Ben Doak about his lack of club game time, describing the 20-year-old Bournemouth winger as a "special case" who "needs some love" from the national setup.
Doak, a £25million signing once identified by Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool's long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, has struggled for minutes under new Bournemouth boss Marco Rose, just as he did under previous manager Andoni Iraola.
Pocognoli's balancing act
Speaking after training at the national stadium, Pocognoli acknowledged the challenge of integrating Doak into his new system while also rebuilding the team's playing style.
"Ben showed some moments that made me think, 'OK, that can work'," said Pocognoli. "When I named my selection, I spoke to a lot of people, people who see him every day and asked them what they think about this situation and that situation."
"I have my idea and I know that Ben is a fantastic player. But when you have a new system you need to give security to the team. Sometimes, starting with a strong foundation can give you confidence in other aspects of the game."
Club minutes a concern
Pocognoli said he expects Doak to get more opportunities at Bournemouth, particularly with the Europa League adding fixture congestion, but admitted he will monitor the situation closely as the season progresses.
"I think Ben will get the games because Bournemouth have the Europa League coming. He will play, he will get time," he said. "What concerns me is when March comes. If the players aren't playing a lot then we will struggle with the physical aspects of the game."
The head coach stressed the importance of keeping Doak's morale high, especially after he was benched for the first game of the international window.
Rebuilding confidence
"I spoke with Ben today because he wants to play and he will maybe play tomorrow," Pocognoli said. "But I just wanted to make sure he is OK because it is hard for him if he is not playing for his club. Then he comes here and he doesn't play the first game."
"He needs some love from us and then go back to Bournemouth and smash it! I hope the camp can help players who do not play a lot of minutes to go back to their club in a good frame of mind."
Pocognoli added that Doak's profile is "quite unique in the squad" and that it is his job to use him "in the right moment and in the best shape possible, with regards to the collective", with four games available to try different things.
However, he admitted that Doak's place in the squad cannot be guaranteed indefinitely if he continues to struggle for club minutes. "If he plays for his club he will come into our squad in a different shape and with more confidence," he said. "It will be a concern maybe later on if players stay on the bench longer. That's when the mentality can drop."
Pocognoli also outlined the broader changes he is implementing with the squad, saying: "It is a big change for the players. On the ball, we are trying to go through the lines and take some risks. We have the players to do this - but it is a change."
"We have players who made mistakes at the World Cup so it is a process to give them confidence," he added. "But tactics cannot be executed properly if the mentality is not right. I try to give them the feeling they can do it. Hopefully tomorrow we will see a little bit more of that."
