Scotland boss Sebastien Pocognoli admitted his sport plan went out the window from the minute Jack Hendry was proven an early pink card in final night time’s 3-0 Nations League defeat to Switzerland.
The Al-Ettifaq defender introduced down Swiss attacker Dan Ndoye with simply eight minutes on the clock at Hampden as he bore down upon Angus Gunn’s objective, with referee Nenad Minakovic awarding a penalty and a yellow earlier than overturning his resolution to a free-kick and a sending off.
Scotland’s distress was compounded when veteran full-back Ricardo Rodriguez stepped as much as curl into the highest nook from the sting of the realm.
Targets from Nico Elvedi and Zeki Amdouni within the second half consigned Scotland to a heavy defeat in opposition to the highest seeds within the group on Pocognoli’s dwelling bow in entrance of the Tartan Military.
The consequence leaves the Scots sitting third in Group B1 with a degree to their identify following Saturday’s stalemate in Slovenia, and they’re already 5 behind the Swiss with six video games remaining.
‘It was a irritating night time,’ the supervisor mentioned. ‘There’s not loads to say in regards to the sport. We will analyse the sport, 80 per cent with 10 males, pink card, direct end from the free kick, so in all probability the worst state of affairs we might have.
Sebastien Pocognoli was pressured into altering form after Jack Hendry’s early pink card
‘We began fairly aggressively and on the entrance foot however, after eight minutes, the sport plan needed to be put to the aspect.
‘I wished to see if the workforce reacted properly or not with 10 males and so they did their greatest. They’d a terrific angle to stay collectively, attempting to have a second in transition or with a set piece. It by no means occurred as a result of Switzerland is an efficient aspect and they didn’t give something away.
‘The pink card for Jack is all of our pink card. We keep collectively. We put this second in our DNA in the present day and hopefully it may be useful for the long run.
‘I had a heat welcome [from the crowd] and that made me a bit of bit unhappy as a result of we wished to provide one thing again and we couldn’t.
‘You wish to give one thing to analyse, some course about the place we wish to go and we didn’t have the prospect to point out that, in order that frustrates me.’
Pocognoli insisted that regardless of his aspect being up in opposition to it for almost all of the competition in opposition to final summer time’s World Cup quarter-finalists, there have been components in regards to the efficiency to provide him optimism going ahead.
He mentioned: ‘I watched the angle of the gamers, I wished to see if anybody dropped and that didn’t occur.
Hendry sends Ndoye tumbling to the turf and Scotland’s hopes of victory into the dustbin
‘I’ve nothing unhealthy to say in regards to the workforce. They did their greatest. They’d a terrific angle to stay collectively.
‘With 10 males, naturally given the standard of Switzerland we have been extra about defending. The trouble with one man much less, the way in which that they communicated, fought and tried to shut the passing down, they have been resilient in that second and hopefully it may assist us to be stronger.’
Pocognoli will take his aspect to Skopje this weekend the place they are going to face North Macedonia – overwhelmed 2-0 by Slovenia final night time – trying to safe a maiden win of this marketing campaign, and his first on the helm.
He admitted that whereas he believes his gamers have the standard to provide a top-level show on Saturday, most factors should be the precedence. He mentioned: ‘It is very important have a consequence to improve the workers, not just for me however all of the individuals who work so arduous. Additionally for the gamers.
‘We had a great second half in Slovenia, eight minutes we are able to analyse right here with some good moments, however we’d like a great efficiency in Macedonia and the result’s vital.’
