A new look for Scotland National Football
After Steve Clarke stepped down following the World Cup in the summer, Sebastian Pocognoli has since taken over. Earlier this month, he named his first Scotland squad who will line up to face Slovenia, Switzerland, and North Macedonia in the Nations League.
The appointment of Sebastian Pocognoli as the new Scotland manager last month was met with equal intrigue and scepticism, as the Scottish FA turned to a relatively unknown man to lead the national team in a bold, new direction.
Much of the speculation surrounding Pocognoli’s appointment was centred on his maiden Scotland squad which is tasked with navigating a tricky Nations League group made up of Slovenia, Switzerland, and North Macedonia. Fans and pundits alike understood that the new Scotland manager would put his own stamp on the national team, whilst still maintaining certain elements of Steve Clarke’s squads. Fans wondered how severely the Belgian was going to deviate from Steve Clarke’s Scotland squads of the past as Clarke’s lineups helped deliver the most successful period of international football in recent history, but ultimately failed on the biggest stages.
On 15 September, Pocognoli announced his first Scotland squad, and unsurprisingly, the new manager matched the Scottish FA’s appetite for transformation by making wholesale changes to the squad Steve Clarke took to the World Cup. On the day of the announcement, the new Scotland squad contained 14 players who were not present at the World Cup. However, that total has since risen to 15, as young Blackburn midfielder Kristi Montgomery was handed a late call up as Kenny Mclean and Keiran Tierney dropped out through injury. Pocognoli’s announced squad is as follows:
Scott Bain, Angus Gunn, Liam Kelly, Jon McCracken, Luis Binks, Josh Doig, Colby Donovan, Luke Graham, Jack Hendry, Aaron Hickey, Scott McKenna, Nathan Patterson, Andy Robertson, Stephen Welsh, Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson, John McGinn, Josh McPake, Lennon Miller, Kristi Montgomery, Kieron Bowie, Findlay Curtis, Ben Gannon-Doak, Oliver McBurnie, Robbie Ure, James Wilson.
Notably, Pocognoli has made six first time call ups and named eight players who are still eligible for Tony Docherty’s Scotland Under 21’s. Perhaps the most high-profile selections are Oli Mcburnie of Hull City, who returns from a six-year exile, and Sevilla’s Robbie Ure, who is eager to impress after interest from Ukraine over his allegiance. The pair may be frequently tasked with leading the line for Pocognoli, as he has historically favoured a two-man attack. Another player who may benefit from the new boss’s fresh approach is Swansea’s Stephen Welsh. The departure of Steve Clarke also sees Grant Hanley no longer involved in the Scotland national team.
Speaking candidly on the Scottish National team’s socials, Sebastian Pocognoli spoke about the importance of finding the balance between the “heritage and DNA” of the previous Scotland squads and the new faces he has brought in. Pocognoli also emphasised the importance of finding player profiles which he hopes can fit his style of play and successfully execute his ideas on the pitch. After a steady first half and an exciting second half against Slovenia, Saturday’s 0–0 draw means the Pocognoli era has begun positively. However, the true scale of Pocognoli remains to be seen.
