Scotland claimed their first win under head coach Sebastien Pocognoli with a 2-0 victory away to North Macedonia in the Nations League. Kieron Bowie scored a fine finish to open the scoring and John McGinn added a penalty, a result that gives Scotland renewed hope of topping Group B1 or at least finishing second. The match followed a draw with Slovenia and a home defeat by Switzerland earlier in Pocognoli’s reign, and it also saw captain Andy Robertson handed his 100th cap.
The performance drew a mixed response from the Tartan Army. Some supporters welcomed a more positive, high-pressing style after what they saw as a cautious approach in previous years. Brian said it was ‘refreshing’ to see attacking football and argued that the team had made openings and played on the front foot. John described it as a ‘complete performance’ and said he could not remember Scotland being so often on the front foot, adding that 25 shots was ‘unheard of’. Terry praised the backline, saying Stephen Welsh and Luis Binks looked comfortable and allowed those in front of them to structure the play.
Kieron Bowie was singled out for particular praise. Mango called him ‘fantastic’ and said he deserved man of the match, highlighting his tenacity, pace, work rate and a great solo goal that got Scotland’s momentum going. Others were satisfied with the result even if the margin could have been bigger. Stuart said Scotland should have scored more than two but noted that they had played better and lost in the past, and looked ahead to Tuesday’s meeting with Slovenia, suggesting a win would give Scotland a three-point lead and the head-to-head advantage.
Not all the feedback was positive. Several fans felt Scotland’s lack of cutting edge against a poor North Macedonia side was a concern. Graham said North Macedonia were ‘awful’ yet Scotland could only score twice and ended the game with 10 men, while William argued that one goal from open play plus a penalty was still a poor return. Lindsey said Scotland should have scored more given the number of opportunities, and Miller summed up the frustration by saying there was ‘lots of domination but absolutely shocking goalscoring record’.
The closing stages also sparked debate. Scotland finished with 10 men after Scott McKenna’s red card, which followed a misplaced pass from Robertson according to several supporters. Some felt McKenna was unlucky and that the challenge warranted only a yellow card, while others called it rash and avoidable. Aaran described the game as ‘weird’, saying North Macedonia parked the bus and that the referee made two bad VAR calls, one for the penalty and one for the foul by McKenna. John argued McKenna’s lunge was worthy of a yellow but not a red. There was also criticism of Robertson’s 100th-cap display, with Haz saying he should apologise to his team-mates and Gerry claiming his poor pass led to the sending-off.
Individual assessments were similarly divided. Some fans praised Welsh, Binks and Bowie, while others questioned Ben Gannon-Doak’s end product and John McGinn’s display. Views on Oli McBurnie also differed, with Gerry saying he is not the answer to Scotland’s striker problem and John arguing his first touches opened up good positions. Gerry welcomed Pocognoli’s decision to select younger and less experienced players, calling it a ‘promising start’ and a breath of fresh air compared with previous management, but Russell said he had a ‘funny feeling’ the Belgian might not be the right man. For all the disagreement, the win was a much-needed one for Scotland, and the home game against Slovenia on Tuesday now looms as an important test of whether the new approach can deliver against stronger opposition.