What Should Scotland's Coach Do?
October 6, 2026 ·
Sebastien Pocognoli is trying to build momentum after achieving his first win as Scotland coach. With anticipated tactical changes, he had to adjust his squad due to player absences and fatigue.
What Should Scotland's Coach Do?
According to Sports.
Background
Sebastien Pocognoli, Scotland coach, now faces the challenge of maintaining the team's performance after achieving its first win. With changes necessitated by McKenna's red card, Pocognoli will have to be careful in selecting his line-up and strategy to face Slovenia coming off the back of a narrow defeat to Switzerland.
Why this is important
Sebastien Pocognoli's first win as Scotland coach provided a morale boost for the team ahead of the match against Slovenia. With their previous draw against Slovenia, the Scottish team needs to show improvement to strengthen their position in the group. This match is also important to maintain positive momentum and build the team's confidence ahead of future matches.
Main Points
- What Should Scotland's Coach Do?
- Sebastien Pocognoli is trying to build momentum after achieving his first win as Scotland coach.
- You are the Scotland boss - what would you do? - Yahoo Sports.
After picking up his first win in the game against North Macedonia, Scotland coach Sebastien Pocognoli now prepares to face Slovenia at Hampden Park on Tuesday. In their previous match, Scotland managed a goalless draw against Slovenia, and this time, the opponents come on the back of a narrow 2-1 loss to group leaders, Switzerland.
Pocognoli will make at least one change to his squad due to Scott McKenna's red card in stoppage time in Skopje. However, what other tactical changes might the Belgian coach implement? With a win in North Macedonia, Pocognoli is expected to keep much of the same starting line-up, starting with goalkeeper Angus Gunn of the San Jose Earthquakes.
However, the absence of McKenna, who is one of the key players in the defense, is a challenge in itself. Al-Ettifaq's Jack Hendry, who is free from suspension, is expected to return alongside Brondby's Luis Binks and Swansea City's Stephen Welsh, who performed well in Skopje.
Team captain Andy Robertson was very aggressive against North Macedonia, looking to score at every opportunity, and he will be looking to earn his 100th cap. Meanwhile, young players such as Josh Doig from Sassuolo have the potential to be an alternative in the left-back position.
On the right, Brentford's Aaron Hickey, Torino's Nathan Patterson and Celtic's Colby Donovan are also good options to strengthen the attack. Ben Gannon-Doak showed his ability in defense and attack, so he will likely be used again on the wing, especially in home games where Scotland are expected to dominate the game.
Pocognoli is unlikely to change the midfield formation which has shown good performance in the previous three matches. There are only questions about John McGinn's position ahead of Napoli's Billy Gilmour and Bologna's Lewis Ferguson, especially after McGinn scored a penalty in North Macedonia.
Udinese's Lennon Miller may again have to wait to feature, while wingers Josh McPake of Heart of Midlothian and Kristi Montgomery of Blackburn Rovers will likely have to wait longer for their debuts. Sassuolo's Kieron Bowie, who scored his first goal for Scotland, is likely to earn a place in the starting XI.
On the other hand, although Oli McBurnie is yet to score for Scotland after 19 appearances, his contribution in the game against North Macedonia makes him hard to ignore. The final question is whether McBurnie will be played in a deeper role on the left wing, with McGinn on the right, or as part of a front two.
Pocognoli's decisions will all be revealed an hour before kick-off at Hampden, and the question arises, what will he take?
What happened next
Pocognoli is expected to make tactical changes to overcome the absence of Scott McKenna, who is a key player in the back line. Jack Hendry is likely to return to the starting XI, partnering Luis Binks and Stephen Welsh. With captain Andy Robertson aiming to win his 100th cap, Scotland will be looking to get a win to improve their position in the standings.