Switzerland’s Rodríguez and Elvedi punish Scotland after Hendry’s early red card

Switzerland have responded exceptionally well after allegations of capers involving vaccination certificates that threatened to overshadow this international window. Make that six points out of six for Murat Yakin’s stylish team. Switzerland look comfortably capable of breezing out of Group B1 in the Nations League. They have not even played at home yet. Granit who?

Sébastien Pocognoli, conversely, has been left to ponder one step forward and umpteen back. Scotland’s second half in Slovenia at the weekend provided hope to the new manager and a supporter base who want to enter a brave new world. Age old, troublesome flaws remain.

Related: Scotland 0-3 Switzerland, Spain 4-1 Croatia, and more: Nations League – live

Jack Hendry’s red card meant Scotland played almost 80 minutes of this encounter with 10 men. They were, however, outclassed in every department. Scottish patterns of play were not immediately obvious. The upcoming trip to North Macedonia carries importance as Pocognoli seeks to win hearts and minds. This was all pretty grim for anyone of a Scotland persuasion.

“The red card of Jack is all of our red card,” said Pocognoli. “We stay together. We put this moment in our DNA today and hopefully it can be helpful for the future.”

Scottish expectancy heading into a World Cup where they subsequently took tedium to new levels feels a long time ago. They have scored only once in five games. Impotence can only concern Scotland’s Belgian manager, whose bow at Hampden Park was over as a contest long before full-time. A penny for the thoughts of Steve Clarke, Pocognoli’s immediate predecessor and a coach much-maligned in certain quarters. Were Clarke in charge of this ragged display, the public response would have been ferocious.

Judgment of Pocognoli on this occasion requires appropriate context. Switzerland had control of the early exchanges without creating anything until a slick move saw Dan Ndoye sent through on goal from the halfway line. It was quickly apparent Hendry did not have the pace to halt his opponent. Initially, the referee Nenad Minakovic booked Hendry and awarded a penalty for the clear pull on Ndoye which toppled the Swiss forward. Following a video assistant referee check that was unnecessarily lengthy, the official corrected his decision to a free-kick and sending off. Up stepped Ricardo Rodríguez to crack the ball beyond Angus Gunn from 19 yards.

Pocognoli’s immediate response was to withdraw Kieron Bowie, one of two strikers. The introduction of Stephen Welsh retained Scotland’s three-man backline. A noticeably subdued Hampden crowd feared a long evening. This is, after all, a Switzerland team that followed up a strong World Cup performance with a comfortable win in North Macedonia on Saturday.

John McGinn appealed in vain for a penalty after claiming he was held at a Scotland corner. The blunt truth is Scotland have needed more from McGinn than the seeking or winning of fouls for some time.

McGinn’s Aston Villa teammate Johan Manzambi was unsurprisingly lively; he fired just wide of Gunn’s right-hand post moments after a delicious cross that found no Swiss takers. With half an hour played, the Scots were gasping for air against opponents who looked physically and technically superior. When in possession, far too much of the hosts’ play was sideways or backwards. Gunn denied Ndoye nine minutes before the break.

The half ended with a yellow card for Pocognoli, who protested a little too vociferously after McGinn was fouled. All the episode did was sum up Scottish frustration. There had been needle in the game but the coherent football had been played by those in red.

Manzambi had irritated the home support by embellishing fouls and entering into a verbal spat with Oli McBurnie. His play, though, was a compelling watch. Manzambi’s movement unnerved Scotland. His willingness to drop deep or wide to get involved in the game emphasised his versatility. His touch and dribbling ability set him apart; all at the age of 20. Scotland’s lack of anything approaching such emerging talent is glaring.

Switzerland’s second came from a more unlikely source. Scotland only partially cleared a corner, with the ball funnelled wide right to Ndoye. The cross was pacy and low, with the central defender Nico Elvedi striding forward to flick home. Two nil was a more appropriate reflection of events to that point.

Pocognoli now made a triple change. McBurnie’s 18th cap had passed without the ending of his international scoring wait. As on Saturday, the alterations were like-for-like in positional nature. Pocognoli’s level of tactical flexibility remains open to question. Yakin withdrew Manzambi, in what could be classed as a humanitarian act towards Scotland.

Not that Switzerland had stopped dishing out punishment. The closing stages resembled an attack versus defence training exercise. A third from the Swiss was inevitable as they toyed with the Scots.

Gunn was pitifully weak in attempting to deal with Zeki Amdouni’s strike, which flew into the roof of the Scotland net via the goalkeeper. Cue a mass exodus from the stands. Pocognoli has been served a strong, painful reminder of the scale of task he chose to inherit.