Scotland defender Stephen Welsh believes Sebastien Pocognoli underlined his credentials as a top-class coach and tactician with the changes that transformed the match against Slovenia.
Scotland struggled to find their rhythm during a disjointed first half at Ljubljana’s Stadion Stozice yesterday, with Slovenia coming close to taking the lead on two occasions.
The second half, however, was a completely different story. Scotland dominated possession, controlled the tempo and created a host of clear-cut opportunities.
Despite failing to convert enough of those chances and having to settle for a point, Welsh believes new head coach Pocognoli deserves significant credit for the changes he made during the game.
The Scotland manager notably adjusted Billy Gilmour’s position to allow him to see more of the ball, while also demanding a more aggressive press higher up the pitch.
‘He wasn’t angry or shouting or anything,’ Welsh said when asked about Pocognoli’s half-time message. ‘He was very calm and composed in what he told us.
Stephen Welsh was impressed by the changes made by new Scotland manager Sebastien Pocognoli at half-time
‘He showed us some details on the video and explained what we needed to change. As I said, full credit to him because it worked.
‘He told us that we are good players and that we could work things out ourselves on the pitch.
‘The tweaks he made showed real top-quality coaching, to be honest. We dominated the second half.
‘He basically told us that we needed to be sharper and better. He reminded us that we are top players performing at a good level, and told us to go out and show it.
‘Full credit to him. He changed things at half-time and altered the shape slightly, which gave us much more control of the game.
‘I thought we were really good. The chances we created in the second half were exactly what we had been working towards throughout the week.
‘There are a lot of positives to take from the match, although we still have plenty to work on. It is good to have another game on Tuesday and the chance to go again.
‘I found the first half frustrating. It took us a while to gain control of the game, but we changed a few things at half-time and I thought we were really good in the second half.
‘At this level, you have to take your chances. Slovenia have a top goalkeeper in Oblak, and I don’t think many other keepers in Europe would make those sorts of saves as regularly as he did.
Scotland manager Sebastien Pocognoli made a major impact by changing the team’s shape
‘But we have to focus on the positives. We got into some excellent positions and created chances; now we have to finish them. It is a decent enough start for us, but there is still plenty to improve and build on.’
Welsh settled after a nervous opening and grew in influence as the match progressed while operating on the left side of Scotland’s back three.
The Swansea City defender marked his debut with a clean sheet and admitted the achievement was a proud personal moment.
He also believes the dominant nature of the second-half performance should excite fans about what this team can do moving forward.
‘Yeah, of course, keeping a clean sheet on my debut is something I’m proud of. As a back five, and Gunny as well, that’s what you want.
‘I don’t think Slovenia had many chances in the second half. I don’t think Gunny had many shots to save, which is a positive for us.
‘Keeping a clean sheet away from home in Europe isn’t easy to do, so yeah, we’re delighted with that and it’s definitely something to build on.
Midfielder Billy Gilmour saw much more of the ball during a dominant second-half display
‘Absolutely, I hope the fans are excited by the second half, because we’ve only had five days. I think Slovenia have been together for a couple of years now.
‘So the work we’ve put in over the last five days has paid off in the second half because the performance was much better. It’s about starting on Tuesday against Switzerland in the right way. We will have a big crowd right behind us as well, which I’m sure will help.
‘Switzerland are a top team. They got to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in the summer and were actually really close to reaching the semi-finals.
‘We know it’s going to be a challenge, but we know that we’ve got quality in the changing room as well.
‘We’ve also got quality off the bench as well. As you’ve seen, when Doaky came on, probably something a little bit different to what we had before.
‘So, yeah, we know it’s going to be a tough test, but happy it’s at home, so we can use the crowd to our advantage. It’s up to us to put on a good performance.’
