From turgid to thrusting - mixed start for new Scotland
Scotland's national football team showed a mixed performance in a 0-0 draw against Slovenia, marking the start of the Sebastien Pocognoli era. While the first half was criticized for a lack of intensity, the team showed improvement in the second half.
Why it matters
The performance is a key indicator of the team's tactical transition and potential for success under new management.
Figure caption, Highlights: Slovenia 0-0 Scotland
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Published 27 September 2026, 08:14 BST For 45 turgid minutes in Slovenia, some in the Tartan Army might have reimagined the Steve Clarke years as a time of plenty, the halcyon era of ambitious football when Scotland were an all-electric thrill-fest.
The opening half of the Sebastien Pocognoli regime was, as expected, disjointed.
It was also, rather unexpectedly, devoid of anything remotely related to what Pocognoli laid out as his non-negotiables - front-foot pressing, high intensity, speed of thought and mind, goal threat.
They had no shot on target and lost so many aerial duels that you stopped counting beyond the half-hour mark. They took 38 minutes to touch the ball in Slovenia's penalty area.
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