Sebastien Pocognoli’s first four matches as Scotland head coach have offered a mixed early picture, with an attacking identity emerging alongside questions over the team’s shape, forward line and midfield balance.
Appointed after Steve Clarke’s resignation, the 39-year-old has brought the front-foot, aggressive football he promised, although its execution has varied markedly. Scotland’s opening camp included an encouraging away victory in North Macedonia, a disappointing home performance against Switzerland and a dismal defeat by Slovenia at Hampden Park.
The return fixture in Slovenia contained elements of all three, underlining that Pocognoli’s approach remains a work in progress.
Scotland’s wing-back problem
Pocognoli has revived the back three, a system which served Clarke well during the early part of his reign and was also used by the new manager at Monaco and Union Saint-Gilloise.
The formation suits a Scotland squad that has produced plenty of full-backs but has had fewer natural wingers. Its effectiveness, however, depends on how those wide positions are used.
Ben Gannon-Doak, Josh McPake and Findlay Curtis were all included in the squad, raising the question of how Scotland’s more creative wide players would fit into the system.
Gannon-Doak started the final two matches at wing-back, with captain Andy Robertson occupying the opposite flank. That gave Scotland a natural winger on one side and a full-back on the other, creating the possibility of a more flexible attacking structure.
Instead, the lack of deep runners sometimes made the team look predictable. When Pocognoli switched to a back four during Tuesday’s defeat by Slovenia, Curtis and McPake appeared more threatening as conventional wingers than the players they replaced.
Competition for places in attack
The main change to Pocognoli’s starting system has come in the attacking positions. Scotland used a 3-5-2 in each of the first three matches, with John McGinn operating behind two strikers.
Against Slovenia, Pocognoli moved to a 3-4-2-1, asking McGinn and Ryan Christie to play behind Oli McBurnie. McBurnie, Kieron Bowie and Robbie Ure each made a positive impression at different points during the camp, but there may be space for only one of them in Scotland’s strongest starting side.
McGinn’s place appears secure. His penalty against North Macedonia took him level with Lawrie Reilly as Scotland’s fourth-highest scorer, while his established partnership with Scott McTominay remains an important consideration for the new manager.
McTominay missed the camp while recovering from minor heart surgery, but is expected to return once fully fit. The decision Pocognoli faces is whether to alter the system to accommodate the pair or select the shape he believes best suits the team as a whole.
Billy Gilmour at the heart of the new approach
Billy Gilmour has been given a different responsibility under Pocognoli. The Napoli midfielder, who won his 50th cap against Slovenia, has traditionally operated as a deep-lying playmaker capable of playing through pressure.
He was instead deployed higher up the pitch, with instructions to lead Scotland’s press, disrupt opponents and use his technical ability to break down defensive blocks.
The adjustment has made Gilmour central to Pocognoli’s strategy, but it has also exposed a vulnerability. His advanced position left Scotland open to counter-attacks, while the lack of pace in the back three was tested when possession was lost.
Gilmour is still expected to play a major role in building attacks, meaning he must cover considerable ground at both ends of the pitch. Despite the demands of the role, he was widely regarded as Scotland’s outstanding performer during the camp.
Whether Pocognoli ultimately uses him as a holding midfielder, a No 8 or a more advanced No 10, Gilmour is set to remain one of the defining figures in the next phase of Scotland’s development.
Scotland’s next Nations League fixtures are against North Macedonia at home on November 13 and Switzerland away on November 16, when Pocognoli’s tactical choices will face their next test.
