Sebastien Pocognoli finally snagged his first win and saw his squad net their first goals as Scotland head coach, and man, it was about time after that goalless draw in Slovenia last month! The boys delivered in North Macedonia, grabbing that crucial first victory of his era. But don’t get too comfortable, because the same Slovenian squad is rolling into Hampden Park on Tuesday, fresh off a narrow 2-1 defeat to group leaders Switzerland.
Defense on Alert: The Forced Change Pocognoli Can’t Dodge
Here’s the immediate kicker: Pocognoli is absolutely forced into at least one change. Why? Because Scott McKenna got himself a red card in those closing stages in Skopje. That’s a huge blow, with the Dinamo Zagreb centre-back being an absolute ever-present so far. But hey, opportunity knocks, right?
Al-Ettifaq’s Jack Hendry, who’s thankfully free of his own suspension, is probably a lock to make a swift return. He’ll likely slide right in next to Brondby’s Luis Binks and Swansea City’s Stephen Welsh, both of whom definitely enhanced their reputations in Skopje. And let’s not forget Stoke City’s Luke Graham, who stepped onto the pitch for his debut from the bench and honestly didn’t look out of place. This defensive shuffle is going to be massive, especially with the fatigue factor kicking in from four games over just 11 days on some of those experienced, older legs. Pocognoli talked about using his whole squad, and now he truly has to.
Wing Power and That Diamond Midfield: Who Steps Up?
On the wings, captain Andy Robertson, the Tottenham Hotspur left-back, was absolutely possessed in North Macedonia, bombing down the wing and shooting whenever he saw a sliver of goal. He was determined to make his mark as he earned his 100th cap, and you gotta respect that! He’s surely taking another step closer to Kenny Dalglish’s cap record, even with Sassuolo’s Josh Doig waiting in the wings for a shot.
Over on the right, you’ve got specialists like Brentford’s Aaron Hickey, Torino’s Nathan Patterson, and Celtic’s Colby Donovan. But let’s be real, Bournemouth’s 20-year-old Ben Gannon-Doak showed he can do it all: track back on defense and rampage down the other wing. For a home game where Scotland is going to be attacking hard, it would be a huge surprise if Gannon-Doak isn’t back in that role. As for the midfield, that diamond has been shining bright through the first three games, and it would be a major shock if Pocognoli messed with that now. The only real question is where Aston Villa’s 31-year-old John McGinn, who feels like he “answered his recent cr,” slots in front of Napoli’s Billy Gilmour and Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson. This lineup is everything for Tuesday.
So, here we go, Tuesday night at Hampden Park against Slovenia for the final Nations League outing of this international window. Pocognoli just got his first taste of victory, but now it’s about building momentum and making those critical lineup tweaks work. Let’s see what he rolls out and if the boys can deliver another big result!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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