In the wake of Steve Clarke’s departure as the manager of the Scotland national side, supporters across the country were eager for a fresh direction. Behind the scenes, the change was nothing short of a revolution, while on the pitch it manifested as a series of evolving performances, some brilliant and others perplexing. Sebastien Pocognoli, the freshly appointed head coach, has delivered a brand of football that mirrors the promises he made during his appointment: proactive, attack‑oriented, and assertive.
Yet the reality of his approach has proven to be more nuanced than many had imagined when the 39‑year‑old, with a clean‑cut appearance, first stepped onto the Hampden Park stage as the emblem of a modern, progressive Scotland. During his first training camp and the subsequent quartet of fixtures, we witnessed a spectrum of results: a commendable display away against North Macedonia, a disappointing home loss to Switzerland, and a chaotic encounter with Slovenia that combined the good, the bad and the ugly in equal measure. The Slovenia match, in particular, encapsulated all three aspects in a single, bewildering performance.
Beyond the immediate impact on the team’s morale, the outcome also raised questions about the potential ramifications for Scotland’s seeding in the Euro 2028 qualifying draw. From these four games, three clear take‑aways have emerged regarding Pocognoli’s tactical blueprint.
**1. The return of a back three** Pocognoli’s preferred formation, a three‑centre‑back system, is familiar territory for him, having employed it successfully at both Monaco and Union Saint‑Gilloise. It is therefore unsurprising that he reverted to this shape with Scotland, echoing the structure that served Steve Clarke well in the early stages of his tenure. The real point of discussion, however, lies not in the mere deployment of three centre‑backs but in how the system functions on the field.
Theoretically, the formation should suit a squad that has, for nearly ten years, been deprived of natural wingers and has instead relied heavily on full‑backs to provide width. With the inclusion of 20‑year‑old prospect Ben Gannon‑Doak alongside Josh McPake and Findlay Curtis, the coaching staff faced a dilemma: where to slot these creative wide players. The solution was to position Gannon‑Doak as a wing‑back in the final two matches, pairing him with captain Andy Robertson, who now serves as a centurion on the opposite flank. This asymmetrical arrangement—natural winger on one side, full‑back on the other—was intended to give Scotland a more elastic attacking shape.
In practice, however, a shortage of deep‑running options made the side appear more rigid than fluid. When Pocognoli switched to a traditional back four in the dying minutes of the dismal defeat to Slovenia, the immediate impact was noticeable: Curtis and McPake, both operating as conventional wingers, seemed more threatening than the wing‑backs they replaced. This suggests that while the back three offers defensive solidity, the team may still need a clear, dedicated wide threat to unlock stubborn opponents. **2.
Adjustments in the attacking unit** Pocognoli’s initial three matches saw Scotland line up in a 3‑5‑2, with John McGinn positioned behind a pair of No 9s. For the Slovenia game, he tweaked the shape to a 3‑4‑2‑1, allowing McGinn and Ryan Christie to support Oli McBurnie as two advanced midfielders. Throughout the camp, several forwards—McBurnie, Kieron Bowie and Robbie Ure—had moments of promise, yet it appears that only one of them will secure a regular starting berth in the strongest XI moving forward. John McGinn, who famously converted a penalty against North Macedonia to equal Lawrie Reilly as Scotland’s fourth‑highest scorer of all time, is expected to partner the returning hero Scott McTominay once the Napoli midfielder fully recovers from a minor heart operation.
The McGinn‑McTominay partnership has been a potent double‑act for almost a decade, and it seems likely they will continue to feature together. The lingering question is whether Pocognoli will shape the formation around these two stalwarts or adapt it to suit the broader pool of attacking talent at his disposal. **3.
The evolving role of Billy Gilmour** Central to Pocognoli’s vision is a reimagined role for the 25‑year‑old Billy Gilmour, who celebrated his 50th cap during the camp. Traditionally a deep‑lying playmaker with an uncanny ability to beat the press, Gilmour has been nudged into a more advanced position. The intention is to harness his energy to press opponents aggressively while exploiting his technical skill to dissect defensive blocks rather than merely threading passes through them.
This tactical gamble has produced mixed outcomes. When positioned higher up the pitch, Gilmour often leaves Scotland vulnerable to swift counter‑attacks, exposing the lack of pace in the back three during transitional phases. Moreover, his dual responsibilities—initiating attacks and contributing defensively—demand a high work rate that can be taxing over the course of a match. Nevertheless, many Scottish fans still regard Gilmour as the standout performer of the camp, praising his versatility and influence regardless of his exact position, whether as a number 6, 8 or 10.
In summary, Pocognoli’s first foray as Scotland’s manager has been a blend of experimentation and revelation. The back three offers defensive cohesion but may need complementary wide options to maximize attacking potential.
The forward line is still being fine‑tuned, with McGinn and McTominay likely forming the core, while the role of the emerging talents remains to be clarified. Finally, Billy Gilmour’s repositioning underscores the coach’s willingness to innovate, even if it occasionally leaves the side exposed.
As the team prepares for the upcoming fixtures, supporters will be watching closely to see how these tactical ideas evolve and whether they can translate into consistent results on the road to Euro 2028.