New coach, new players, but same old failings hamper Scotland

Scotland’s 0‑3 loss to Switzerland revealed that a new coach and fresh personnel have not erased the team’s recurring shortcomings. The match at Hampden on Tuesday began poorly when Jack Hendry was shown a red card in the opening minutes, a decision that, as Andy Robertson later noted, “Hindsight is lovely, he said. ‘Football is about split‑second decisions ... but the red card killed us.’” Switzerland, coached by Murat Yakin, opened the scoring early and Yakin reacted with a half‑smile, sensing the job was already done. The visitors have rarely been beaten; Argentina needed extra‑time at the World Cup to edge them, and Germany prevailed 4‑3 in a friendly with the winning goal arriving in the 85th minute. Their composure, tactical awareness and belief were evident throughout. After Hendry’s dismissal, Switzerland capitalised on the resulting free‑kick to go two‑up, leaving Scotland a goal and a man down against the 14th‑ranked side in the world. Dan Ndoye repeatedly outpaced the Scottish defence, and Hendry’s ill‑timed challenge left him with no realistic option but to concede the foul. Angus Gunn could have done better with Ricardo Rodriguez’s effort; the shot flew past the goalkeeper’s side and he failed to make a save. Kieron Bowie, introduced after the red card, endured an unfortunate night, while John McGinn accumulated fouls and Oli McBurnie battled hard in what McGinn described as a “thankless task”. Brief bursts of optimism flickered among the crowd, but Switzerland absorbed Scotland’s energy and waited for the decisive blows, which arrived early in the second half. A second and third goal followed, sealing the victory. Once the game became 10 v 11 after just 11 minutes, the outcome was effectively settled. Pocognoli reflected on the mood in the camp, saying, “Everybody in the squad was so excited to start the first page of the book at home, but the book turned into a horror story.” The focus now shifts to Skopje, where Scotland face North Macedonia on Saturday. Pocognoli added, “The next chapter comes in Skopje on Saturday. You hesitate to call it a must‑win so soon in Pocognoli’s reign, but for feel‑good purposes it truly is.” North Macedonia, having lost 3‑0 to Switzerland the previous weekend, are not at Slovenia’s level, having fallen 2‑0 to them on Tuesday. They remain winless in their last ten matches, scoring only two goals while conceding four against Turkey, four against Denmark and seven against Wales. For Scotland, the encounter represents an opportunity to end a goal drought and halt a winless streak. Pocognoli acknowledged that the 90‑minute showing against Switzerland offered little insight, noting that tactical decisions will be scrutinised heavily. Luis Binks made a solid debut, and Stephen Welsh, introduced after the red card, performed admirably. Bowie, deprived of a full evening against Switzerland, is expected to receive a proper chance in Skopje, and the McBurnie‑Bowie partnership deserves an opportunity to prove its worth after being disrupted premature