A frustrating evening at Hampden Park saw Scotland fall to a 1-2 defeat against Slovenia, raising immediate tactical questions for the newly appointed manager, Sebastien Pocognoli. But at 1-1, and then when Slovenia took a deserved 2-1 lead, Pocognoli switched formation and personnel, not out of design but out of desperation, you felt, maybe not early as he should have.
Slovenia threatened early in the match, piercing the Scottish defense in the 13th minute. Jack Hendry was forced to make a crucial block to deny Adam Cerin’s goalbound effort, signaling a difficult night ahead. Scotland struggled to establish any rhythm from the outset and ultimately got the result their performance merited. Where did this turkey of a performance come from.
Known as a proponent of a three-man defensive line, Pocognoli faced a stern test of his tactical adaptability. As Slovenia deservedly went 2-1 ahead following an earlier 1-1 deadlock, the manager reacted by altering both his system and players. However, the frantic late substitutions of attackers and wide players resembled a desperate, unstructured attempt to salvage a draw rather than a calculated tactical shift. Wingers, kitchen-sink stuff, he hurled players on in a bid to take a point; strikers.
