Story summary
Sebastien Pocognoli, the new head coach of Scotland's national soccer team, faced a challenging debut match against Switzerland on Tuesday at Hampden. His 10-man squad lost the game and has only one point from two games played so far. The next crucial test for Pocognoli is an upcoming match in North Macedonia on Saturday, which needs to be won to improve Scotland's standing under his leadership.
One key area of concern is goalkeeper Angus Gunn’s performance. Despite being Steve Clarke’s top choice during the World Cup and currently playing with San Jose Earthquakes in the United States, Gunn has conceded 23 goals in just 11 games for his club this season. His poor form extended to international duty against Switzerland where he struggled significantly.
Pocognoli may need to reconsider Scotland’s goalkeeping options after these performances, as Gunn's errors have been highlighted by pundits and analysts alike.
Written for “Soccer Transfer Rumors” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
Two games, one point, no goals.
asserted
games → publish → ?
New Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli might have hoped to know more about his side by now.
uncertain
Pocognoli → hop → side
But little was learned at Hampden on Tuesday as his 10-man team were outclassed by Switzerland.
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team → learn → Switzerland
That makes Saturday’s match in North Macedonia - live on the BBC - even more important.
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match → make → BBC
A first win under the Belgian is needed.
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win → need → Belgian
How might Scotland achieve that?
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Scotland → achieve → that
And what are the key questions facing the head coach?
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questions → face → coach
Goalkeeper Angus Gunn admitted he'd "probably be disappointed" when he looked back at the goals he conceded against the Swiss.
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he → admit → Swiss
The 30-year-old was Steve Clarke's number one at the World Cup and, since then, has remained in the United States with San Jose Earthquakes.
But a far from successful start at his new club - where he has conceded 23 goals in 11 games - has continued into international duty.
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he → remain → duty
Gunn's failure to keep it out was "so poor", he said.
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he → keep → it
While there was little that could be done for the Swiss' deserved second, the goalkeeper didn't cover himself in glory for the third goal, with Zeki Amdouni's finish going through him.
Gunn's far from convincing performance sparked a conversation around whether he should start on Saturday.
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he → be → Saturday
But Pocognoli has not shied away from big calls so far - his initial bold squad and his offering of three debuts in two games stand out.
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squad → shy → games
It wouldn't be out of the question for him to shake things up in Skopje.
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him → shake → Skopje
"They were good strikes, but as a goalkeeper, I'm always disappointed when I concede a goal," Gunn acknowledged after facing the Swiss.
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Gunn → concede → Swiss
"I'll look back and see what I could have done better and get better for the next game.
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I → look → game
Who knows when that next game will be...
Is Welsh stick-on in defence?
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Welsh → know → defence
While there is a little uncertainty in goal, Pocognoli may have been given a bit of clarity about the make-up of his defence in his first two games.
uncertain
Pocognoli → be → games
The Swansea City defender settled nicely into his debut in Slovenia on Saturday on the left side of the back three, and might have felt aggrieved to drop to the bench on Tuesday as the head coach handed a debut to Luis Binks.
But Jack Hendry's red card necessitated a reshuffle and Welsh was restored to the team in a more familiar position on the right and performed admirably again.
Not only is the former Celtic and Motherwell defender vocal and versatile, he is also comfortable carrying the ball - a key asset in Pocognoli's style.
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he → settle → style
His unexpected home debut ought to help him back into the starting line-up on Saturday, especially with Hendry suspended.
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Hendry → help → Saturday
Does Gannon-Doak have to start?
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Doak → have → ?
While the second half in Slovenia showed Pocognoli's system can be exciting, it remains unclear if it best suits this Scotland squad?
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it → show → squad
Two games in and winger Ben Gannon-Doak has yet to start.
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Doak → have → ?
His impact as a substitute in both has been notable, leading Halliday to say he'd be "shocked" if the Bournemouth player didn't start against Group B1's bottom side.
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player → lead → side
Wing-back would seem the most likely, but the 20-year-old's defensive instincts are not the same as those of Aaron Hickey or Nathan Patterson.
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instincts → seem → Hickey
Perhaps Pocognoli needs to be more flexible - something he said he is but has yet to show in his shape.
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he → need → shape
But if he wants to stick to his preference, is this the game to try Gannon-Doak at wing-back?
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this → want → back
Is it 'time to talk' McGinn?
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it → talk → ?
Gannon-Doak offers an attacking threat like few others do in a Scotland shirt.
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others → offer → shirt
He could do with a hand from some pals.
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He → do → pals
The Aston Villa captain won a bounty of fouls against the Swiss, and though he was much-improved like the rest in the second half at the Stozice Arena, he's still not reaching the levels he does at his Premier League club.
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he → win → club
Pocognoli needs more from the Tartan Army talisman as he hurtles towards a century of caps - he's on 91.
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he → need → 91
The vice-captain is another whose name has been mentioned in the 'does this system suit Scotland' conversation.
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system → mention → conversation
It's been a while since McGinn delivered one of those big performances for his country, but his ability to create a moment of magic and drive a team forward makes him difficult to drop.
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him → deliver → team
Another big call for Pocognoli to ponder...
Does Bowie get another chance to start?
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Bowie → ponder → chance
What should be a little more straightforward is giving Kieron Bowie another start.
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be → give → start
The Sassuolo striker was sacrificed just over 10 minutes into his first Scotland start to make space for Welsh in defence.
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striker → sacrifice → defence
His partnership with Oli McBurnie showed promising signs in the 20 minutes or so they were together in Slovenia, but there was little time to build on that cameo against the Swiss.
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they → show → Swiss
Surely he and the Hull City striker will get another chance?
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he → get → chance
If there were any concerns McBurnie wasn't up for the fight - five years on from his last international involvement - they have been quashed in these past two games.
His work-rate as a largely solo striker - hauling his team up and holding the ball in - was commendable.
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rate → be → ball
If only Bowie was still on the field for the flurry of flick-ons he won in the first half.
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he → win → half
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