Two games in one as Pocognoli era opens in Ljubljana

New head coach Sebastien Pocognoli described his Scotland bow against Slovenia as “two games in the same game” after his side claimed a Nations League point following a much-improved second-half display.

The Scots struggled through a disjointed first half but took control after the break, creating enough openings to win, only to settle for a 0-0 draw in Ljubljana. The result brought two debuts, a return for Oli McBurnie, and a change of shape after seven years of Steve Clarke ended following the summer’s World Cup.

“First half, was not what we expected in terms of structure,” Pocognoli told BBC Scotland. “We were in between for the press, actually we were a little bit surprised about the formation of Slovenia, but at half-time we fixed this and you can see that the second half was much better.

“We produced what we wanted to show every minute, but first half we learned to stick together, to defend the box, to be resilient and to be patient to change the game.”

Gilmour the ‘catalyst for everything’

Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmour missed the World Cup campaign after a heartbreaking injury against Curacao in Scotland’s final home warm-up game. He returned to the heart of midfield alongside Lewis Ferguson and, according to former Scotland midfielder John Collins, was “the catalyst for everything” in the second half.

“Straight from the start of the second half he was getting the ball, playing forward passes and following his pass to the strikers,” Collins said.

Gilmour played further up the pitch than Ferguson — “close to a creative 10” according to former Scotland winger Pat Nevin — and completed 32 passes into the final third, more than any player on the pitch. The former Chelsea man combined with McBurnie on the edge of the box to set up a shot for himself, slipped in Robbie Ure who opted to cross rather than shoot, and picked out Kieron Bowie with a wonderful through ball that should have brought a goal.

Pocognoli revealed a half-time tweak to drop Gilmour deeper to make it harder for Slovenia to play through them and to gain greater control.

“We fixed the position of Billy to be a little bit lower and to have Oli McBurnie a little bit more in his box, with two sixes and two 10s, and we were more compact to regain the ball when we lost it,” the head coach explained. “Also, that creates some imbalance in the defence from Slovenia, where we can go through the lines with a good chance of Billy or through the depth with the chance of Kieron Bowie or with some crosses.

“He’s a fantastic player, I really like him. He’s a creative player who always looks forward, always ready to find a solution with a clear game plan, also a good presence around the box and also very good defensively.”

Welsh steps up on debut

Swansea City defender Stephen Welsh was one of two debutants, playing on the left of a back three despite being right-footed. Scotland struggled defensively at times in the first half, with Slovenia playing over the top, but Welsh’s positioning after the break helped change the game.

In the first half his average position was short of the halfway line; by the end of the game it was in Slovenian territory. His most common pass shifted from fellow centre-back Scott McKenna to wing-back Andy Robertson.

“It was the starting position of the back three for which changed it — they were in a really good starting position,” former Scotland defender Callum Davidson told BBC Scotland. “In the first half they were quite deep and worried about the ball over the top. But we managed to nullify that and then keep the ball.”

The former Motherwell and Celtic defender created a clear goalscoring chance with a wonderful through ball to Bowie, finishing with 16 passes into the final third and the highest accuracy rating. More aggressive play from Welsh helped set the tone after the break as he looked assured on his international debut.

Finishing still a problem

With a new manager, injuries to Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland, and on the back of strong Hull City form, Oli McBurnie made his first Scotland appearance since 2021 in attack. Robbie Ure, fresh from his move from Sirius in Sweden to Sevilla, made his debut, while Sassuolo’s Kieron Bowie came off the bench in the second half.

Those three have one club goal between them this season — Bowie’s against Juventus — and none for Scotland in their limited caps. Yet all three were presented chances to score.

McBurnie nicked possession and went through but failed to round Jan Oblak in the Slovenia goal, while his header from a corner was also beaten away by the Atletico Madrid keeper. Ure drove a low shot off the post in the first half from outside the box, then later opted for a cut-back when slipped in by Gilmour. Bowie ended with the highest expected-goals rating in the Scotland team (0.94) despite playing only 25 minutes, after twice staring at the whites of Oblak’s eyes and failing to find the net.

It is only one game, and Scotland will not face a goalkeeper of Oblak’s quality in every match, but there is a lingering concern about the national side’s goalscoring ability — they have managed one in their last four competitive games.

“International level is all about taking your chances, you don’t get too many,” Davidson said. “It’s about being really clinical, so for these strikers it’s important when you get games like this to take your chances. That’s the disappointment from today.”

For all the positives the attackers brought in general play, the question hangs over whether Scotland have someone with a killer instinct.