The Belgian has brought the Hull City man back into the national team fold after five years in the wilderness under Steve Clarke
Oli McBurnie(Image: Jamie Johnston/Focus Images Ltd/Shutterstock)
View 3 Images
He promised to deliver something new. Maybe even something exciting.
And, now, just three games into his new gig as Scotland’s manager, Sebastien Pocognoli is beginning to make some headway.
It wasn’t all that long ago when this felt like a squad which was in danger of turning stale and running out of any kind of serious firepower. But tonight, Pocognoli will select his fourth starting XI in the space of three weeks, and it seems reasonable to assume already that it is likely to pack some fairly serious punch.
With Che Adams still in Italy recovering from injury, Lawrence Shankland nursing a damaged hamstring and Lyndon Dykes left out of Pocognoli’s first squad, the Belgian had to be creative in this particular department.
So he recalled Oli McBurnie while fast-tracking both Kieron Bowie and Robbie Ure into the international big time. And the early indications are that he was correct on all three counts.
Indeed, when McBurnie was welcomed back after five years of cold shoulder treatment from Steve Clarke, the general consensus was that the Hull City frontman would have to break his international duck during these first four games or faces being escorted back off the premises.
That’s no longer the case, if it ever was, where the new manager himself is concerned. So even if McBurnie fails to finally get off the mark against Slovenia tonight he’s already a shoo in to make Pocognoli’s squad for next month’s Nations League double header against North Macedonia and Switzerland
“Maybe I see it differently because I do not look to the past,” is how Pocognoli put it yesterday when reminded of the instant demands placed upon McBurnie after the news of his return to the fold.
He went on: “For me, when he started it was like bringing in a player with zero caps. In the first match against Slovenia he had a great game.
"He should have scored once - he knows that - and against Switzerland it was difficult to judge because we went down to ten men so early in the game. But he produced something that the crowd appreciated.
“They saw that and they are now maybe more in love with each other. That was like scoring a goal for him. In Macedonia he produced a lot of good action to be dangerous and maybe he should have scored one if we gave him the cross but that moment will arrive. I don’t make an issue out of it.
“He was desperate to come back, so that is good. He was desperate to show that he is proud to be there, that is OK. I just want to make sure that he is not just focused on that.”
And, with Bowie notching a stunning opener in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Macedonians in Skopje, it’s no wonder that Pocognoli is beginning to lick his lips in anticipation of what may be to come in his second game in charge at Hampden.
Scotland's Kieron Bowie (L) celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 with teammate Andy Robertson
Scotland's Kieron Bowie (L) celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 with teammate Andy Robertson(Image: SNS Group)
View 3 Images
He continued: “Yes, there are more options. But they are not all here. We have two young lads and one who has just come back, so it is like three faces in terms of strikers.
“And you have Shankland who is not here, Che Adams who is not here and James Wilson, who was with us and is now with the Under 21s and did very well for them to be fair. So we will have everybody all together and we will try and make a selection for the next camp.”
Bowie’s place in that group is also secure. In fact the Sassoulo striker is beginning to look every inch like a ready made Scotland international, despite being sacrificed after only 10 minutes against the Swiss last week when Jack Hendry’s red card turned Pocognoli’s big night on its head.
The manager said: “I tried to be logical. The lad did not deserve to be put out of the game. Sometimes it can be like this. But there was no reason to not start him against Macedonia on Saturday. And Oli fought like a lion alone on an island against Switzerland. That cost him a lot of energy.
‘He did well in the first half against Macedonia but he also looked tired. So I substituted him and left Kieron in attack.”
Asked if the nation might be right to be excited at Bowie’s sudden arrival on the scene he said: “Yeah, I’m excited. I’m not surprised, I watched all of his games last season at Hibernian and in Verona.
“He’s the type of striker that we need in the way that we want to play. He needs to improve many things, but he’s already a very good striker, and he is young.
“Probably his instinct in the box, sometimes he looks too much at the target. Sometimes you just have to hit it, and that is the next step for him, because he scores difficult goals. In and around the box, he can be a little bit more clinical.”
Bit by bit then, Pocognoli’s plan for Scotland appears to be coming together. And the expectation levels are rising accordingly.
He said: “I think the expectation is relative to the passion of the country. The supporters are really crazy for football and they have an idea about the Scotland players.
Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli and his players
View 3 Images
“They see John McGinn with the Europa League and other players winning the Champions League and other competitions and they think, ‘OK, they can do it also for the national team,” But it’s not that easy
“It’s normal after that that the supporters want more. It is the same in life. When you get something, you want more. The supporters are the same. They just want to put the dream higher.
“But that is the only way to progress, to try to match the expectation levels. We need to make the expectations as high as possible regarding what we put on the pitch, but the expectation is also to enjoy the football and what they see on the pitch.
“I am already busy with this and I am a big believer that if you produce good things on the pitch the expectations will align. Let’s see what the future brings and I hope we can bring some smiles for the supporters.”