Sébastien Pocognoli’s start to life as Scotland boss got off to a so-so start during the September and October international breaks.
The Belgian was a surprise replacement for the long-serving Steve Clarke when he was officially unveiled back in August. The 39-year-old’s first four games, in the Nations League, delivered a mixed bag with the Tartan Army winning in Macedonia and drawing in Slovenia. Those two positive results were straddled by Hampden defeats to Switzerland and Slovenia, most recently.
Scotland conclude their Nations League campaign this month, with a visit from Macedonia on Friday followed by a trip to Switzerland next Monday.
Phil Bardsley, who won 13 Scotland caps during his playing days, believes there are positive signs even this early on in the Pocognoli era.
“You look at Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson with the success he had, and the success Steve Clarke had with Scotland, taking them to three major competitions – it’s always going to be difficult,” Bardsley, now 41, says.
“To be fair to Pocognoli, I think the Scotland team is in a bit of a transitional period.
“They’ve got a lot of young talent that he’s brought into the squad and given chances to. It’ll take them time to integrate into the squad and get used to that first-team environment. But there are some positive signs, so I won’t be too negative on him. He’s new to the role, so you’ve got to give him time to adjust and get his plans in place.
“The thing for me is that he’s very youth-orientated, he doesn’t mind giving young players a chance, and that can only be a positive.”
*Phil Bardsley was speaking in conjunction with compare.bet.
