Pocognoli deserves time but Scottish FA must also prove its credentials

If time is the commodity most cherished by a manager, Sébastien Pocognoli’s decision to lead Scotland is no surprise. Host nation status for Euro 2028 means it will be exceptionally difficult for them not to qualify for the tournament.

In the Nations League, starting on Saturday in Slovenia, Pocognoli can experiment without fear of serious consequence. The 39-year-old has taken over a national team that represents a country which had not only – and partly unfairly – grown weary of Steve Clarke but screamed for a brave new dawn. The public wants what the public gets. They are unlikely to turn on Pocognoli, even if the start to his international management career proves bumpy.

The Belgian has cannily called up a batch of untried and young players for his opening set of fixtures. Not all will be cut out for international football – Clarke’s mainstays remain crucial – yet the head coach will gain kudos for giving opportunity. An improvement in talent identification, including sourcing more players who qualify for Scotland through family bloodlines, is now a priority. Pocognoli’s salary, understood to be seven figures at base level, underlines the Scottish Football Association’s sense that it has sourced a difference maker from the out-of-work market.

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After a playing career spent mostly in his native Belgium, Pocognoli was central to a European football fairytale. The Union Saint-Gilloise title win in 2025 was their first in nine decades. USG’s fortunes had been transformed after the involvement of Tony Bloom and his favoured analytics tool, Jamestown. While it would be unjust to dismiss the influence of Pocognoli, an underlying theme where Bloom’s secret sauce is prominent is that the overall system may be more relevant than the individual in the dugout. Key decisions, including tactical style, at USG were made by the sporting director.

Craig Mulholland has been appointed as the Scottish FA’s chief football officer with a role as varied as the title is vague. After background roles at Rangers and Nottingham Forest, Mulholland’s credentials for this post are questionable. Somebody from another country may have marked Scottish football’s homework differently. Mulholland talks the talk. The rest remains to be seen.

Alongside urging Scottish clubs to field more homegrown youngsters – he is destined to have varying results on that front – and hiring a batch of underwhelming age-group coaches, Mulholland has been at Pocognoli’s side since his August appointment. Mulholland spoke of data as central to the manager search, having employed a sports intelligence agency not only to assist with that but to present to clubs at a recent summit. As Pocognoli will attest, analytics cannot prevail via half measures.

Mulholland’s assertion that “people doing an international job for the first time are more successful than those doing it for the second time” was striking. This lacked appropriate context. Luis de la Fuente, Gareth Southgate and Didier Deschamps inherited outstanding players despite technically being rookies. It also missed the point; Scotland have become regular tournament participants. What the country needs is a coach who can negotiate the brick wall hit by Clarke at two European Championships and a World Cup.

For Pocognoli, this is a shot at redemption. His post-USG stint at Monaco lasted only 38 games before he was sacked. The period was not entirely disastrous, as he guided the team to the Champions League’s knockout phase. At both clubs, his development of young players has been praised. Scotland hope the skill is transferable during short international periods.

Pocognoli’s strength, which may well translate successfully to the international game, was in coaching. He is likable, honourable and will take senior players with him. The group have enjoyed the intensity of sessions and clarity of message during a camp in La Manga this week. “The basic principle is to attack together and squeeze the pitch,” he says. “When we need to defend, we have to defend like brothers. When we lose the ball, we try to regain it as soon as possible. That for me is the base.”

Pocognoli is without Scott McTominay for this Nations League window as the midfielder recovers from a heart procedure. Scotland remain weak in the goalkeeping and centre-back areas. Much stock is being placed on Oli McBurnie seizing an international second chance. Pocognoli’s typical formation is 3-4-3.

Clarke embarrassed the Scottish FA during a recent dinner appearance in Edinburgh, where comments about strong-arming his employer into handing him a four‑year contract before the World Cup were made public. The episode did not reflect well on Clarke either, albeit football people looking out for themselves is hardly a new concept.

Ian Maxwell, the Scottish FA’s chief executive, purred about evolution when introducing Pocognoli. “I think in a lot of aspects, Scottish football needs to modernise itself,” he said. “We need to think differently about how we do things across a range of areas”. It was impossible to take this sentiment seriously given Maxwell’s haughty dismissal of those who questioned whether the Clarke extension was wise. Within months, the message was one of change. Maxwell, suddenly an advocate of innovation, has been in office since 2018.

Pocognoli’s unveiling was overshadowed by the Scottish FA belatedly getting around to publicly withdrawing support for Gianni Infantino continuing as Fifa president. This was clumsy, in keeping with so much that happened before and during a miserable World Cup. Mike Mulraney, the SFA’s president and the head of Fifa’s finance committee, remains conspicuous by his silence. Pocognoli has been hired by unconvincing people.

Scotland’s last trip to Ljubljana, in 2017, concluded with failure to reach the following year’s World Cup confirmed and Gordon Strachan using genetic limitations as a feeble excuse for his own shortcomings. For the majority of the intervening years, seven of them under Clarke, Scotland have become a relevant international force once more. Whether Pocognoli can build on that foundation or leave supporters believing they should have been careful what to wish for will be a subject of great intrigue.