Sebastien Pocognoli’s fourth match in charge of Scotland has left more questions than answers, but the Belgian insists his side will learn from the experience after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Slovenia at Hampden.
Ryan Christie’s instinctive first-half flick looked set to fire Scotland to back-to-back UEFA Nations League victories and move them into second place in the group. However, second-half strikes from Danijel Sturm and Aljoša Matko turned the game on its head, leaving Scotland with a significant challenge ahead in November if they are to secure a Pot 2 seeding for Euro 2028 qualifying.
Pocognoli offered an honest assessment after the final whistle, admitting his team fell short both in and out of possession.
“We didn’t deserve to get the win, that’s the reality. We didn’t deliver a great game. On the ball and off the ball we were below the level we expect.
“We were not proactive enough, on and off the ball. Probably the structure off the ball needs to be more proactive, front-footed, to push the line higher.
“On the ball we were not clever enough. We were far from strong enough in the duels.
“It’s a process about being brave, trying to defend forward and we were not compact in our defensive shape.
“The reality is each game teaches us some information. We will try to go through the process we want and learn from this one and do better in the next one.”
Before kick-off, Andy Robertson was presented with a commemorative shirt and framed memento to mark his 100th Scotland cap, achieved in Saturday’s victory over North Macedonia. Joined by former national team managers Alex McLeish, Gordon Strachan and Steve Clarke, alongside current boss Pocognoli, the celebrations helped create a positive atmosphere around Hampden.
Yet that feel-good mood quickly evaporated as the visitors fought back after the interval, with boos greeting the final whistle. Robertson felt Scotland were second best in too many areas and admitted Slovenia showed greater hunger throughout the contest.
“We didn’t do the good things we did on Saturday, I don’t know what that’s down to. They caused us a lot of problems and we have to find the reasons why.
“We wanted to kick on from Saturday because we had a really positive feeling about what we’re doing and where we’re going. We didn’t do that.
“It’s been a long camp, I don’t know if it was down to tiredness, but Slovenia have played the same amount of games as us. They looked a lot fresher, more hungry.
“As Scotland, we might lack quality or make mistakes, but I don’t think people accept being outfought. I think that’s what happened tonight.”
Scotland return to Barclays Hampden next month to face North Macedonia once again before concluding their Group B campaign away to Switzerland in Lucerne, knowing an improved performance will be required to keep their qualifying ambitions on track.
