- Published
On a dismal night at Hampden when Scotland failed to ask enough questions of Slovenia, there are one or two that could be posed to new boss Sebastien Pocognoli and his players.
uncertain
that → publish → Pocognoli
We knew Pocognoli was a disciple of three at the back - the issue being whether he was rigid or flexible in his philosophy, whether he was a bit of an ideologue or a coach capable of changing things on the hoof.
asserted
he → know → hoof
Well, he changed it, that's for sure.
asserted
that → change → it
Maybe not early as he should have, but at 1-1, and then when Slovenia took a deserved 2-1 lead, Pocognoli switched formation and personnel, not out of design but out of desperation, you felt.
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you → have → desperation
He hurled players on in a bid to take a point; strikers, wingers, kitchen-sink stuff.
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He → hurl → point
Scotland never really got out of the blocks.
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Scotland → get → blocks
They got what they deserved.
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they → get → what
So to the questions. Where did this turkey of a performance come from?
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turkey → come → performance
As early as the 13th minute there were signs of a rough night when Slovenia got in behind and Adam Cerin's shot had to be blocked by Jack Hendry.
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shot → be → Hendry
It got a touch nervy as the visitors knocked it about, trying to work it into all the space that Scotland were affording them.
asserted
Scotland → get → them
Then Ryan Christie scored and it stirred, only to fall into a slumber again.
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it → score → slumber
The trouble at the back was revisited soon after, Andy Roberton having to make a lung-busting effort to throw himself in front of a point-blank shot from Zan Vipotnik after Hendry was caught dozing.
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Hendry → revisit → Vipotnik
Can the back three, so badly exposed by Slovenia, be long for this world when the opposition is decent?
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opposition → expose → world
Why did all that acreage of space open out wide and through the middle?
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acreage → open → middle
Slovenia were licking their lips for most of the night.
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Slovenia → lick → night
They were clever and creative and should have won by more.
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They → win → more
Why did Scotland's lauded midfield look so overrun?
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midfield → laud → ?
Seconds into the second half, Slovenia went straight through the middle again.
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Slovenia → go → middle
Was anybody taking note of the warning signs?
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anybody → be → signs
Where were the bodies in the box supporting the frontman and the pressing game?
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bodies → support → frontman
How could Slovenia go from being thoroughly outplayed by Scotland in the second half in Ljubljana to being so superior in Glasgow?
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Slovenia → go → Glasgow
Aljosa Matko's equaliser started with a Scotland throw-in.
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equaliser → start → in
Danijel Sturm's chance that should have made it 2-1 three minutes later came on the back of Ben Gannon-Doak staying miles up the pitch oblivious to Sturm's danger.
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Doak → make → danger
Angus Gunn didn't exactly cover himself in glory, either.
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Gunn → cover → glory
The goal that we thought had made it 2-1 was disallowed - correctly - for offside, but the build-up was more of the same.
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up → think → same
Before Matko banged it past Gunn, Slovenia won one aerial duel and then another.
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Slovenia → bang → duel
That second goal did come, as everybody suspected it would.
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it → come → ?
Luis Binks was caught this time.
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Binks → catch → ?
Ramifications could stretch beyond this campaign
What does it all mean for Scotland's bid for second place in their Nations League group, a position that would give them a favourable pot two seeding for December's Euros draw?
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that → stretch → draw
That looks in jeopardy now.
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That → look → jeopardy
The ramifications of this defeat could stretch beyond the disappointment of a cold Tuesday night in Glasgow.
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ramifications → stretch → Glasgow
It was such a damaging evening for Pocognoli, a bolt from the blue, you sensed.
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you → sense → blue
He probably thought he was a little further down the road than he really is.
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he → think → road
It all sounded like some of the darker days under Steve Clarke.
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It → sound → Clarke
There were giant empty spaces in the stands at Hampden but, at the end, there were enough fans left behind to deliver a lusty verdict on what they saw.
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they → be → what
Going into this, there was positivity around Scotland's energy and the chances they'd been creating, about a burgeoning attacking style far removed from Clarke's supposed stodginess.
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they → go → stodginess
All of that was badly undermined.
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All → undermine → that
It wasn't so much that Scotland lost the game - bad enough in itself - it was how they lost.
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they → lose → itself
Gannon-Doak played well as a wing-back last Saturday, but that was North Macedonia, not Slovenia.
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that → play → back
The youngster got targeted and exposed in a position he's not familiar with.
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he → target → position
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
