Scotland Men's Football Team

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Image source, Getty Images

North Macedonia striker Bojan Miovski admits it would be extra sweet to score the winning goal against his adopted homeland Scotland in Saturday's Nations League match.

Neither side has won a Group B game nor even scored a goal in their two games so far.

North Macedonia are on their worst-ever run of six games without scoring and Miovski is determined to end that streak.

"We are trying to find a way to get out of this," he told BBC Scotland.

"In football, you always have the possibility to change things fast. Tomorrow is a big game for us, for Scotland as well.

"They changed the coach, they tried to bring something different. I know all of the players, where they play and what quality they have. It will be difficult for them and, of course, for us.

"It's my fourth year there playing football. Until now, my best memories are in this country. It will be special to play against Scotland.

"I will meet a lot of friends there. I can't wait to see them.

"We will try tomorrow to bring our quality and to be together. We don't have individual players who can change the game in one moment.

"We need to stay as a team and only like this we can have success in this group."

North Macedonia have failed to win any of their last 10 matches and Miovski admits that has affected morale.

"We miss a little bit of confidence, to be honest," he added.

"We are playing for the first time in this group against these teams. For us, it's a big step forward.

"I think we have the quality. We just lack this little bit of confidence to change things in our position.

"We are always going for three points against every team. Tomorrow will be a big boost for us if we win the game."

Image source, Getty

• Sebastien Pocognoli (D1 L1) could become only the fourth Scotland manager to fail to win any of their first three games in charge, after John Prentice, Berti Vogts and George Burley, with the trio all failing to win any of their first four matches at the helm.

• Scotland have failed to score in their past four internationals for only the second time in their history, after May 1971; they've never gone five straight games without a goal.

• North Macedonia have gone six games without a goal - the longest run in their history - while they could also suffer a run of four successive defeats for the first time since November 2016 (5).

• Andy Robertson is set to earn his 100th cap for Scotland should he feature against North Macedonia, becoming the second player to do so for the national team after Kenny Dalglish (102).

• Scotland have lost only one of their previous seven away matches in all competitions (W4 D2), keeping a clean sheet in five of those games.

• After losing their first encounter with North Macedonia in September 2008 (0-1), Scotland are unbeaten in three meetings since (W2 D1), winning 2-1 most recently in September 2013.

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Skopje

Limping at pace through a barren Vienna Airport last night, clutching a laptop bag while also just about holding on to some dignity, it was hard not to be seduced by the glamour of this gig.

Fenway Park and Miami South Beach are a long way from the Skopje suburbs. So is running through an Austrian airport with one knee after some runway hokey-cokey thanks to German air traffic control.

Now here, there doesn't appear to be much sign of the Tartan Army on the outskirts of the North Macedonian capital. No artistically placed traffic cone adorning a statue or fountain.

However, in the beer garden outside the home team hotel, I've just spotted a man with a Glengarry hat set up base camp with a Scotland flag. So we're up and running.

It's all quite understated for what is growing into a seismic game for Scotland and their new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli.

A fairly encouraging draw in Slovenia was followed by that 3-0 reverse to the Swiss, but the double whammy of Jack Hendry's red card and a quickfire goal sucked the life out of Scotland.

North Macedonia were beaten well by Slovenia in midweek, so logic dictates there is a strong expectation for Scotland to win in Skopje on Saturday.

Will Pocognoli feel that way, too? We'll find out at 18:00 BST tonight when he speaks to the media.

Image source, SNS

Scotland should be expecting to pick up six points from this month's two Nations League games, according to former Celtic and Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan.

Sebastien Pocognoli started his time as head coach with a draw in Slovenia and a home defeat by Switzerland and his side next host North Macedonia on Saturday before hosting Slovenia on Tuesday.

"We have to, as a nation, expect to go and get six points," Allan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "But there's got to be performance with it as well.

"But it's goals and points that excite fans. These next two games are quite big already for Pocognoli."

Allan said the only evidence that the Belgian's change in style would work for Scotland came in an improved second half in Slovenia as he was forced to be more defensive after Jack Hendry's early red card against the Swiss.

The former midfielder thought Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmour had proven to be "integral" to the new system, while Hull City striker Oli McBurnie's had been "excellent just for his work rate and probably deserved a goal".

However, Allan thought the team was crying out for the addition of pace provided by Bournemouth winger Ben Gannon-Doak and pondered whether there could be a change in goal after some criticism of San Jose Earthquakes' Angus Gunn.

Former Scotland midfielder Joelle Murray thought the early stages could be vital in North Macedonia after poor starts against Slovenia and Switzerland.

The Hibernian Women head coach was intrigued to see how Pocognoli's aggressive press works over another 90 minutes as it left Scotland exposed in the first half in Slovenia - and with Hendry's red card - but worked in the second half in Ljubljana.

Former Celtic youth winger Karamoko Dembele, the 23-year-old now with Queens Park Rangers, says a racist remark by a team-mate at a Scotland camp made it easier for him to change allegiance to England. (The Athletic, external)

Seventh-tier Ardrossan Winton Rovers will play at the Billy Gilmour Stadium for the next five years because of sponsorship from the Napoli and Scotland midfielder. (Scottish Sun, external)

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Luis Binks has urged onlookers to see Scotland's new regime as "a process" after picking up one point from their opening two Nations League fixtures.

Saturday's 0-0 draw in Slovenia - Sebastien Pocognoli's first match in charge - was followed by a 3-0 defeat at home by Switzerland, with Jack Hendry sent off early on for the hosts at Hampden.

"I know people won't want to hear it, but it is a process," said defender Binks, who made his debut against the Swiss.

"Maybe it will take a bit more time than it would at a club, but we're all on board with it and we know what [Sebastien Pocognoli] wants. It's up to us to go and deliver it.

"Obviously, the result we want to get over pretty quickly and move on to Saturday.

"I know we lost 3-0, but I feel I didn't have too bad a game. I just want more and I know I can do more. I just want to show that."

Brondby skipper Binks says joining the Scotland squad has felt "pretty seamless".

"Obviously, personally, it's a massive milestone for me and my career," he said. "It's something I've worked towards, it feels like forever. For me and my family, it's a night we'll never forget.

"Once you get a taste for the first game, you want more. It's a bit like a drug, so I'm already looking forward to Saturday to hopefully put it right.

"I feel like when you're around good players, you only get better yourself. I've done that in training. I was rewarded by the manager.

"It's helped that there's a lot of us that are quite new. It's a new squad, fresh faces, and everyone's been brilliant with me."

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Nathan Patterson is not letting Tuesday's "tough one to take" against Switzerland dampen his enthusiasm for working under two new head coaches, at Torino and with Scotland.

The 24-year-old right-back was unused in Saturday's goalless draw in Slovenia but was handed a starting place by new boss Sebastien Pocognoli for the 3-0 Nations League defeat at Hampden.

"We knew it was going to be a tough task as soon as we went to 10 [men], but we still showed signs of what we're trying to show and the ideas that we've got," Patterson said.

"It's been good [working with the new head coach]. Everyone's buying into the process and you can see the ideas.

"Obviously, there was disappointment in the dressing room. The game plan that he had in mind, obviously, we couldn't really stick to that."

Patterson ended four frustrating years with Everton by moving to Serie A this summer and so far has come off the bench twice to help his side fight back from behind - to win 2-1 away to Fiorentina then draw 1-1 in Bologna.

"It's exciting times," the former Rangers defender added. "A new challenge for Scotland and on a personal level in Italy.

"I'm looking forward to working with two new managers and I'm enjoying it so far.

"There's a lot of new faces, staff, players. We're all still trying to figure out each other. It's not going to happen overnight."

We asked for your views after Sebastien Pocognoli's home debut as Scotland boss ended in a 3-0 defeat to Switzerland following Jack Hendry's early red card.

Here are some of your comments:

Calum: It's only the second game against a Swiss team who are much greater than the sum of their parts; Scotland could be similar given time under Pocognoli. On the other hand, the players he selects need to learn and quickly.

Jim: I will be generous and say you cannot be overly critical of the team's performance when you play for 80 minutes a man down against a world top-20 team. However, I was a little surprised to note that when we needed goals we didn't explore the few attacking options we had on the bench but mostly sent on defensive options.

Fergus: Embarrassing performance and extremely concerning. Manager playing completely wrong system for the players we have, can't play 3-5-2 as it doesn't allow for our best players to be utilised up front, criminal not to be playing wingers with two strikers, the wing-backs are incapable of providing that service required. Hate to say it but I fear after two games Craig Mulholland has got this appointment massively wrong and we have someone way out his depth.

Shuggie T: I'm sure all the doom and gloomsters will have their say but remember we were competing well until a really smart move cut us open leading to a poor defensive error. After that any sensible analysis of the match is pretty much impossible. But we must beat North Macedonia on Saturday (then at home in November) and we must beat Slovenia well on Tuesday. It's all about getting second in the group to be a pot 2 team for the Euros. Time to give Scott Bain a chance please.

Alan: Not much has changed. Same old Scotland.

Paul: Unpopular opinion. John McGinn adds nothing. "He bought a number of fouls", that's his limit, falling over. Meanders around and falls over arms outstretched.

Tom: Boys against men. Scotland simply has no idea how to play a technical game. A step or possibly steps back on this showing.

Gavin: Jack Hendry made a terrible decision to foul as the last man. He's an experienced defender and should have known better. Going 1-0 down is not a disaster with 11 men but is with 10!

Image source, SNS

• Sebastien Pocognoli (D1 L1) is the first Scotland manager to fail to win either of his first two games in charge since George Burley in May 2008 (D1 L1).

• Scotland failed to attempt a shot on target for the first time in a game in the Nations League.

• Jack Hendry's 11th-minute red card was the second earliest in any Nations League match, after Iceland's Aron Gunnarsson against Albania in September 2022 (9:42).

• John McGinn made his 91st appearance for Scotland, moving him alongside Jim Leighton in joint third place for the most caps for his country; only Andy Robertson (99) and Kenny Dalglish (102) have played more international matches for Scotland.

• Scotland have failed to score in their past three games in the Nations League, their longest run without a goal in the competition.

• Scotland have lost consecutive Nations League home games for the first time, while Switzerland have won back-to-back away fixtures in the competition for the first time.

• Scotland have lost seven of their past 15 home games (W5 D3), as many defeats as in their previous 36 home matches beforehand (W21 D8).

• Scotland are without a clean sheet in eight home games, their worst run since going 10 in a row between October 2001 and September 2003.

Image source, SNS

Scotland manager Sebastien Pocognoli

"They [players] worked with 10 men for 80 minutes, maybe more, they showed great character to stick together for that time.

"It's not easy against a good team to be with 10 men. It will be more about the reaction because we were so excited to start this first page of the book at home. We were ready to deliver the game we wanted from the first minute. We had an unlucky red card, punished with the free-kick, that's the worst scenario.

"We could probably manage the situation better, that's a fact. We create a press where we get the ball back but from a transition we concede another transition. We could probably defend better. We have to fight with 10 men, the guys did the best they could and hopefully we will remember this night differently later on. We have to move on and get a good result in Macedonia.

"We feel sorry for Kieron [Bowie], it's not something we wanted to do [substitute him early] but we had to be smart to keep us alive as long as possible in the game.

"I'm proud because you can collapse in that moment and maybe lose two or three more goals because they are a team that don't give the ball away cheaply. We didn't have a lot of set pieces to maybe have a bit of luck.

"I had a good welcome, it's just frustrating because I said before the game I want to have a good game. Hopefully this will be a nice night to remember in the future as part of the process."

Sebastien Pocognoli's Hampden debut flipped swiftly from special to sour as 10-man Scotland were outclassed by Switzerland in the Nations League.

Read the full match report here

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