SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell made it clear during the week when unveiling Sebastien Pocognoli that Scotland simply qualifying for tournaments is no longer enough.
It’s precisely the kind of attitude to underpin what is shaping up to be a fresh new era under an interesting and laudable appointment as head coach. And it’s exactly right.
With a place reserved at Euro 2028 for a host nation that doesn’t make it through the qualifying process, it seems unthinkable the national side won’t be staging fixtures at Hampden during those finals.
That’s great in many respects. It gives Pocognoli time – and he will likely need time – to impose his own particular style on the team.
It lets him assess the talent at his disposal and reach a view on which of a number of younger talents – Kieron Bowie, Robbie Ure, Colby Donovan, Luis Binks, Tyler Fletcher, Findlay Curtis, to name but a few – might be capable of shaking up the squad and shaping future blueprints. Employing Pocognoli on an initial two-year deal also makes sense.
In among the excitement of the new, though, it must be remembered that this demand from the SFA that qualifying is no longer enough is hardly a novel development.
SFA chiefs Craig Mulholland and Ian Maxwell welcome new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli
Former Scotland boss Steve Clarke failed to meet the challenges of major tournament football
President Mike Mulraney said the same during Euro 2024, just before Scotland stank the place out in their closing loss to Hungary and tumbled out of the competition in disgrace.
It’s good to know those demands haven’t changed, but it does make you wonder why they stuck so long with Clarke when those Euros made it clear he simply couldn’t handle the many challenges and demands of major tournament football.
And it makes you wonder why, having given him a new four-year deal ahead of another totally underwhelming affair in the form of the World Cup in the summer, it looked like they were going to carry on regardless with the 62-year-old until he quit.
Saying stuff is one thing. Following it through when tough decisions need to be made is quite another.
