As is so usually the case with managerial modifications made within the aftermath of failure, Scotland seem to have turned on their heels and gone in a very new course with the appointment of Sebastien Pocognoli.
After the younger Belgian was tonight confirmed because the nationwide aspect’s subsequent head coach, it’s clear the Scottish FA will likely be getting a person who may hardly be extra totally different to his predecessor.
Whereas Steve Clarke was skilled and pragmatic, but in addition dour and, properly, Scottish, Pocognoli is a thrusting 39-year-old adventurer who will develop into solely the second abroad coach within the nation’s historical past, the primary since Berti Vogts over twenty years again.
Pocognoli and Clarke do have in widespread a ardour for shielding and caring for his or her gamers, however this appointment is one thing totally new for Scottish soccer’s governing physique, who’re recognising the nationwide urge for food for change after this summer season’s World Cup group-stage exit.
Sure, Clarke made historical past by taking Scotland to the finals of three main tournaments, however the Tartan Military ran out endurance along with his warning on the massive stage and along with his loyalty to gamers who had been nearing, if not previous, their sell-by date at that degree.
And so, the SFA have sought to handle these issues with an imaginative appointment — Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can be reported to have been interviewed — whose profile, front-foot philosophy and touchline emotion will shake issues up at Hampden Park.
New Scotland boss Sebastien Pocognoli will likely be an emotional presence on the touchline
Pocognoli’s ardour has prompted comparisons with Atletico Madrid supervisor Diego Simeone
Steve Clarke’s warning on the massive stage grew more and more irritating for the Tartan Military
In fact, it helps to faucet right into a vogue at occasions like these. Pocognoli’s greatest teaching success was at Union Saint-Gilloise, who benefited from Tony Bloom and his Jamestown Analytics empire lengthy earlier than Hearts. Don’t be stunned if ‘data-based’ will get a point out when Ian Maxwell and Mike Mulraney get spherical to explaining their rationale this week.
The season earlier than final, Pocognoli made historical past by main USG to their first league title since 1935. He additionally impressed them to a Belgian Cup triumph throughout a marketing campaign that earned him the nation’s supervisor of the yr award. The membership’s first-ever Champions League expertise included victories away to PSV Eindhoven and Galatasaray.
All that earned Pocognoli a transfer to Monaco in October, however he lasted solely seven months within the job. That was regardless of a 10-game unbeaten sequence and a run to the knockout playoff spherical of the Champions League, the place they had been pipped 5-4 on mixture by Paris Saint-Germain.
He’s an thrilling proposition. Whereas his teaching profession remains to be in its infancy, he has already earned himself a popularity as a forthright, demonstrative coach, fiercely protecting of his staff and adept at psyching them up with stirring messages and disrespectful quotes from opponents.
Born within the Belgian metropolis of Seraing, he’s of Italian descent. Usually dressed totally in black, he’s generally in contrast with the Atletico Madrid supervisor, Diego Simeone, though Pocognoli insists that the parallel extends no additional than their personalities.
In an interview earlier this yr, he stated: ‘I’m not calm. There may be a number of hearth burning inside me — the Latin blood in my veins undoubtedly has one thing to do with that. My grandfathers had been Italian.
‘I do know concerning the comparability with myself and Diego Simeone. Simeone is an efficient coach, however he isn’t my nice function mannequin. Atletico Madrid’s taking part in fashion doesn’t enchantment to me a lot both. At most, we share our Latin temperament.’
Whereas Simeone is famend for his groups’ counter-attacking strengths, Pocognoli takes a possession-based method that options aggressive urgent and counter-pressing. After setting up a construction that provides him peace of thoughts — 3-4-1-2 is his most popular formation — he needs gamers to specific themselves. ‘I’m very self-confident,’ he says. ‘I don’t doubt simply.’
On his arrival at Monaco from USG, Pocognoli was requested to elaborate on his rules. ‘There are two features: the collective and the person,’ he replied. ‘My function is to determine a construction the place the defenders are depending on the work of the attackers. That is what my staff did very properly final yr. This resulted in among the finest defences in Europe.’
As a participant, Pocognoli carried out properly sufficient at left-back to earn 13 Belgium caps, though he by no means made it to a World Cup finals. He was concerned when the nation’s golden technology emerged, however he was additionally occasion to the regional factionalism that held it again. After a 4-2 residence defeat by Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2009, he had a infamous dressing-room altercation with Timmy Simons and Stijn Stijnen, who accused him of not taking the outcome significantly.
Pocognoli began his taking part in profession with Genk earlier than becoming a member of AZ Alkmaar, the place he received the Dutch title. After a transfer to Customary Liege after which Hannover 96, he had a three-year spell in England, notable principally for his struggles at West Bromwich Albion. Out of favour with supervisor Tony Pulis, he went on to mortgage to Brighton earlier than returning to his homeland.
The final days of his taking part in profession had been spent with USG, the place he grew to become coach of their Beneath-21s. That was adopted by a spell in command of Genk’s Beneath-18s and an age-group job with the Belgian nationwide aspect earlier than the massive break got here his means.
Even USG couldn’t have imagined that, in his debut season as a supervisor in his personal proper, he would develop into the youngest in Belgium’s historical past to win a league title. Emboldened by that early success, he’s hungry for extra, impressed maybe by among the massive names he has realized from.
Former Belgium team-mate Vincent Kompany is one in every of his function fashions. As is Louis van Gaal, the ‘most full’ supervisor he has labored with. Pocognoli appreciated the Dutchman’s honesty when he performed for him at AZ Alkmaar. ‘He taught me probably the most, tactically and technically. He had a really direct means of speaking, which shocked me just a little at first.’
How Pocognoli, nicknamed ‘Poco’, adapts to worldwide soccer ought to be fascinating. Will his restricted entry to gamers permit him to instil in them his distinctive means of taking part in? How will he fare with out the recruitment that was essential to his success in Belgium?
When he was a boy, Pocognoli wasn’t so eager on soccer and had ambitions to be an archaeologist. ‘I’ve at all times been desirous about journey, tradition, and journey,’ he says. ‘Humanity conjures up me. That’s what I really like about my job: mixing cultures, studying from others.’
His subsequent managerial expertise will likely be an training all proper. Let’s hope the cross-cultural experiment advantages Scotland as a lot because it does him.
