Pocognoli's Scotland begin new era in Slovenia
Scotland begin life under Sebastien Pocognoli away to Slovenia on Saturday.
The Belgian is the new head coach of the Scotland men's national team. His first game is a Nations League match in Ljubljana. The game will be live on the BBC, according to BBC.
The Nations League is UEFA's competition played between the usual qualifiers and tournaments. It groups nations by rank and offers another route to major finals. For Scotland, it is now the first test of a new era.
Pocognoli was appointed on 16 August on an initial two-year contract, Reuters reported. He was 39 at the time. The Scottish FA announced the deal and described him as "one of Europe's brightest emerging coaching talents."
He arrived with a growing reputation from club football. His previous jobs were with Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium and Monaco in France. Both spells brought him attention for clear organisation and trust in young players.
His preferred shape has been 3-4-2-1 and its variations. That means three centre-backs, four players across midfield, two attacking midfielders tucked in behind one central striker. It can shift quickly from solid at the back to numbers forward.
The squad for Slovenia points to fresh thinking. Pocognoli included eight uncapped players in his first selection. Uncapped means they have yet to make a full senior appearance for Scotland.
Two young forwards will not be part of it. Findlay Curtis and James Wilson were released from the senior squad to the under-21s. That move lets them get minutes rather than sit in the stand.
The BBC has published a team selector for supporters to pick their own starting XI under the new boss. It is a simple sign of the curiosity around this appointment. Everyone wants to know who starts and how Scotland will look.
For fans, this means a clean slate and an easy way in. Watch the shape early on. Watch who plays through the middle and who leads the press from the front. A debutant or two would tell its own story about where Pocognoli wants to go.
