Kevin Gallagher says Scotland players need to 'understand' Pocognoli system

It’s been a difficult start for Scotland as they get used to life under Belgian head coach Sebastien Pocognoli.

The Scots went down 3-0 in their second Nations League match against Switzerland, after a 0-0 draw against Slovenia last Saturday.

They have four games to go in this Nations League campaign – first up it’s North Macedonia away on Saturday – before Scotland return to Hampden to face Slovenia on Tuesday.

Former Dundee United and Scotland striker Kevin Gallagher is backing Pocognoli to come good, but said the players need to “understand” the Belgian’s new frontfoot system.

“He’s come in, he knows what he wants to do, and he’s got a different set up from what Steve Clarke’s got,” Gallagher told STV Sport.

“Right away, I noticed that when he’s at Ajax and things, his system was a 3-4-1-2 or a 3-4-2-1, so it kind of chops and changes but never changes back to 4-4-2 or anything, always seems to be a back three or back five, whatever way you want to look at it.

“I think the players have to understand it. It’s not really a British structure, it’s more of a European structure he’s brought into it.

“And I think it’ll take time to adapt, you just have to look at the players in those positions.

“They have done it before under Steve Clarke, so I believe they will sort of blend to the way he wants to do it because he’s got nice experience, he’s been to a World Cup, he’s been to a Euros, and he’s got a nice blend of the new youth starting to sort of develop around him.

Kevin Gallacher received 53 caps for Scotland SNS Group

“So it’s looking quite good, would just be nice to see the results slightly better, but we’re creating chances, putting teams under pressure, just not taking them.

“Once we start taking them and relaxing into the system, I think it’ll get better.

“I guess the North Macedonia game now, if we can get a result, get a victory, that’ll be massive for the manager. That’ll be the monkey off the back.

“I think as quickly as players can pick it up it can settle the team better.

“It is risk and reward.”

Gallacher, who won 53 caps for Scotland, said it is a “phenomenal achievement” that Andy Robertson is poised to become only the second man to win 100 caps for the national side.

The national captain could hit the century mark in Saturday’s Nations League game against North Macedonia as he closes in on the record.

“It’s fantastic isn’t it,” Gallacher added. “You just look at the amount of games the national teams are getting now, I think it took me 500 appearances with Scotland to get 53 caps, now there are so many games for the national team.

“If you can stay clear of injuries, which Andy’s been very, very fortunate with, he’s loved his time, he’s been on a rollercoaster ride ever since he was a young lad at Queens Park after being released from Celtic, so to get to 100 is a phenomenal achievement, and he’s deserved it.

“It’s just one of those things. Kenny’s record has stood, in those days we knew that there were only like four games a season, now there’s like ten games a season, so you can actually get 100 caps if you stay away from injuries.”