Sebastien Pocognoli has vowed to raise expectations as Scotland manager during a warm-weather training camp in La Manga, Spain, ahead of facing Slovenia.
The former Belgium international took over following the departure of Steve Clarke, who stepped down after failing to advance Scotland beyond recent major tournaments.
Pocognoli praised the foundation built by Clarke, who guided Scotland to back-to-back European Championship finals and this year's World Cup after 28 years out of major international tournaments. However, the new manager insists Scotland must now aim higher.
"The bar is very high. I know this," Pocognoli said. "Steve and his staff made Scotland massively famous on the map across the last two tournaments, so that is the standard. I hope we can reach this and push the limit even higher with good football on the pitch. That’s something important for me."
He added that the existing heritage is positive and can be used to push expectations even higher to reach another level.
Belgian Experience of High Expectations
Pocognoli brings experience from Belgium's golden generation, having earned 13 caps as a left-back between 2008 and 2014 while playing for clubs including Dutch side AZ Alkmaar and Belgian team Standard Liege. During his international career, he played alongside high-profile stars Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romelu Lukaku.
He featured in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, although he did not make the final squad for Brazil. Belgium reached the quarter-finals in Brazil and Euro 2016, topped the FIFA rankings for five or six years, and finished third at the 2018 World Cup.
Despite those achievements, Pocognoli recalled intense scrutiny in his homeland. "It was high expectation and, for me, over-expectation," he said. "It is a country of 12 million people and you have to deal with France and Germany next to you and England."
He added: "There were fantastic players and that Belgium team reached third place in the World Cup. Fantastic. They were first in the FIFA rankings for five or six years. You can’t do more than that. Maybe with some luck you can win a medal. But there was over-expectation and I think that generation reached its best, to be honest."
Revamping the National Squad
Scotland are undergoing rapid changes just over three months after a dismal World Cup performance against Brazil.
Out of the 27 players currently training in Spain and vying for a place against Slovenia in Ljubljana, 15 were not present in the squad that travelled to Miami.
The selection includes several uncapped players, such as defender Luis Binks, as Pocognoli introduces fresh options across the squad.
Pocognoli believes patience will be essential during this transition. "Patience is something that you gain a lot from," he said. "If the players can see a clear vision that’s realistic, then we will go through it and bring exciting football for the fans."
He added: "There are many ways to go through that process, but we need to be good. We don’t have a lot of games, so we want to combine good results with a good collective performance, as well as individually."
Setting Standards and Handling Ego
Pocognoli arrives in international management following a title win in Belgium with Brussels-based Union Saint-Gilloise and an eight-month spell at French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco that ended in his dismissal.
He believes establishing strict team standards is crucial when managing players called up from club football.
"I give them expectations and standards," Pocognoli explained. "If you don’t follow through standards and give me a good reason to play you... because I believe that the expectations are part of the process to be successful."
He stressed the importance of squad unity over individual egos. "Most of the time if you don’t do it, it’s because of ego. And I don’t think we are a country that can accept someone having too much ego. Ego is part of football, but we just have to stay in the lines and do the best for your team-mates and the collective."
Demanding Focus on the Pitch
Former team-mates describe Pocognoli as a likeable figure who maintains a firm disciplinary edge during training sessions.
Asked about his reputation for being tough, he smiled: "It depends on what you mean about being tough? The tough side of me is on the pitch. When we work, it’s 200 per cent committed and focused. The boys already work like this so it’s easy for me as a coach. But yeah, I hope in future I won’t have to be too tough."
He warned that he keeps close watch on discipline and recovery: "The only thing for me that will be disappointing is if we don’t follow what we’ve prepared. Outside the pitch I’m also very sharp on this because we need to be ready for the next training session. I have my eyes on everything. But we have fantastic players with good leaders who manage the discipline well."
Pocognoli recalled seeing positive signals when the squad first met in Glasgow, noting that players showed immediate excitement and smiles. He added that for some players, it felt like their first day at school, being a little bit nervous in a positive way.
Tactical Shift for Slovenia Match
Scotland are expected to line up in a 3-4-3 formation featuring a high defensive line against Slovenia in Ljubljana, marking a clear tactical departure from the more cautious approach of the Clarke era.
Pocognoli admitted that implementing such changes over a short training camp in Spain presents a challenge, but expressed confidence in the squad's ability.
"We have to find the right balance," he said. "To produce good football, you need some time, but this squad is really talented. Today, we have gone through some ideas, and these quality players, they pick things up very quickly."
He added: "The worst thing to do is overload them, because sometimes it is just about their quality. You can sometimes just show the way and their individual quality will make the difference."
