Pocognoli's Scotland debut ends in 0-0 draw with Slovenia
Scotland showed a much-improved second-half display under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli, but a familiar lack of cutting edge left them with a 0-0 Nations League draw in Slovenia.
Sebastien Pocognoli's first match as Scotland head coach ended in a goalless Nations League draw in Ljubljana, a result he described as "two games in one game." Scotland were disjointed before the break but controlled the second half and created enough chances to win, only to be denied by Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Pocognoli admitted his side were surprised by Slovenia's formation and were caught between pressing and holding. At half-time he adjusted the shape, bringing Billy Gilmour deeper and pushing Oli McBurnie higher, with two sixes and two 10s making Scotland more compact. The change helped them dominate possession and play through the lines.
Gilmour, back after the injury that ruled him out of the World Cup campaign, was central to the improvement. Former Scotland midfielder John Collins called him "the catalyst for everything." Pat Nevin noted he operated close to a creative 10, and his 32 passes into the final third were more than any player on the pitch. Pocognoli praised Gilmour's creativity, forward thinking and defensive work.
Swansea defender Stephen Welsh impressed on debut, playing left of a back three despite being right-footed. His average position moved from short of halfway to Slovenian territory, and his most common pass changed from fellow centre-back Scott McKenna to wing-back Andy Robertson. Callum Davidson credited the higher starting position of the back three for nullifying Slovenia's long balls and helping Scotland keep the ball.
The main concern was finishing. McBurnie, making his first Scotland appearance since 2021, failed to round Oblak after nicking possession and saw a header saved; Robbie Ure hit the post and later chose to cross when slipped in by Gilmour; Kieron Bowie, who had the team's highest expected goals rating despite playing only 25 minutes, twice failed to beat Oblak. Scotland have scored once in their last four competitive games. Davidson said international football is about taking chances, calling it the disappointment of the day.
