Sebastien Pocognoli will, I suspect, be gone from his job as Scotland head coach before the fans learn to pronounce his name correctly, writes Hugh Keevins in his latest column for the Daily Record.
Something is being lost in translation between him and his players. They are struggling to come to terms with the formation the Belgian is asking them to play. The coach is on borrowed time and too many of his players are starting to look as if they are out of time. It’s a dangerous combination.
Dismissing the 'Give Him Time' Argument
Keevins rejects the notion that patience is required, stating: “We’ve got to give the guy time,” is a cliche and not a carefully thought-out appraisal of anything. He noted that Hampden would be the home of morbid curiosity when Slovenia went there in the Nations League – and so it turned out to be.
There’s now a morbid fascination with how long Seb will last in his post and a curiosity over where Scotland go from here. If Switzerland and Slovenia had won at Hampden by the margins they should have, based on their supremacy, Sebastien would be gone already.
Five Goals Conceded in Eight Days
Scotland conceded five goals in eight days, and Keevins argues it should have been 10. “This is not hysteria, hyperbole or harassment. It’s the truth of the matter,” he writes. Being played off the park at home in successive matches a week apart, out-thought as well as out-fought, isn’t a good look.
In four matches so far in the qualifying group, Scotland have had two red cards and too many red faces to count. The man who was brought in as a breath of fresh air has turned toxic in the eyes of a support who have gone cool on his capabilities and what the future might hold.
Questions Over Players and Approach
Keevins questions Angus Gunn’s credentials as an international-class goalkeeper and describes the defence as bringing “a whole new meaning to disarray.” Those who were once mainstays in other areas of the park have started to live on past reputation.
The head coach has begun to say one thing and do another. In his pre-match press conference Pocognoli said he wanted the team to put on a show against Slovenia – but they were being totally outplayed even when they were a goal up. The number of people who use that irritating phrase about being able to “see what he’s trying to do” is dwindling in number.
Scotland had a good second half in Slovenia and a vastly over-rated display against North Macedonia in Skopje which sent them into Tuesday night’s shambles at Hampden in a delusional frame of mind. Other than that? Reasons for concern.
The long international break, now mercifully over, left observers with one thought: after watching Scotland, they had missed domestic football more than they had imagined. “You can’t fool all of the people all of the time. We’re in a bit of bother here,” Keevins concludes. Pocognoli’s approval rating will be based on results, so he had better get the finger out soon. Meanwhile, Hampden is flat on match days and fewer people are turning up.
