It is fair to say that Angus Gunn probably won’t remember this international break with any great fondness.
The Scotland goalkeeper came in for heavy criticism on the back of the 3-0 defeat to Switzerland at Hampden last week.
The consensus was that Gunn should have done a lot better for a couple of the Swiss goals. Everyone knew it – fans, pundits and even the man himself.
Gunn admitted afterwards that he would have a look back at the goals and try to assess what he could have done differently. Deep down, he knew he had a poor night.
Following it with a clean sheet in Skopje last weekend was of little consequence against a North Macedonian side who offered precious little in attack.
Against a Slovenia team who seemed to surprise Scotland with their pace and invention going forward, Gunn was at fault once again.
Aljosa Matko scores Slovenia’s opener despite the despairing lunge of Angus Gunn
When Aljosa Matko broke forward and took aim from outside the box just before the hour, Scotland’s goalkeeper was found wanting once again.
The shot from Matko was not exactly a piledriver. It was eminently saveable. Instead, Gunn was slow in getting down and could only throw a weak hand out to it, pushing the ball into the far corner.
As the net rippled, another huge groan could be heard among the Hampden crowd. Gunn was the talk of the steamie all over again.
Just a few moments later, as Danijel Sturm raced in on goal down the left channel, the Scotland keeper came out initially before hesitating and retreating backwards.
He got away with it when Sturm then fired over the bar when he really ought to have scored to put the Slovenians 2-1 up.
This was another damaging night for Gunn. The goalkeeping position is now a huge problem for Pocognoli moving forward towards the Euro qualifiers next March.
It is now surely a matter of urgency for Scotland’s new head coach to find a solution because Gunn patently is not up to the task.
Matko wheels away to celebrate after his gun silenced Hampden and sparked debate on Gunn
Gunn is effectively Scotland’s first-choice goalkeeper by default, not by conviction. He does not convince. Never really has, truth be told, barring in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
He has made mistakes that cost Scotland and the longer we pretend otherwise the more we store up trouble for the next serious campaign.
Consistency and reliability are two of the key metrics by which a goalkeeper is judged at the top level of football.
Too often, it feels like Gunn’s performances come under legitimate scrutiny. The Switzerland display was not an isolated blip.
The deeper problem is the vacuum around him. Gunn holds the jersey because the alternatives are not battering the door down.
Liam Kelly remains a squad option at Rangers without any chance of playing regular football. Scott Bain is at Falkirk and is not having a good season. Jon McCracken is in League One with Bradford.
Craig Gordon’s remarkable longevity finally ran its course. That is the list. No one is forcing the issue with consistent, high-level performances that demand selection.
As a result, Gunn remains No1 almost by process of elimination. That is no basis for long-term confidence.
Pocognoli shakes hands with Gunn at full-time and may have no choice but to stick with him
Pocognoli inherits this situation at the start of his tenure. The Euro qualifiers will arrive soon enough – and that is when the real examination begins.
This was a poor night for Scotland’s new head coach. Defeat to a modest Slovenia side completely changes the outlook of this four-game block.
Had Scotland claimed a victory, the feeling among players and supporters would have been undeniably positive. But this was a night when a stylish 2-0 win over North Macedonia was followed by a woefully disjointed display. Scotland looked leggy and jaded.
Having led 1-0 in the first half, they totally lost their way as the night wore on. By the end, it felt like a lot of the goodwill towards Pocognoli had gone.
For the fourth and final match of this Nations League quadruple-header, it was noticeable that there were quite a few empty seats around the stadium.
Granted, there will be those among the Tartan Army still recovering from having to pay an arm and a leg to follow the team in the World Cup in America back in the summer.
With this being the least glamorous of the two home matches in this international break, perhaps this was the one some fans were happy to sit back and watch on TV at home.
One can only presume that the place will be back to full noise and capacity by the time the Euro qualifiers come around next March.
Scotland were disjointed in the first half. Slovenia were playing through the press far too easily and Pocognoli’s side were probably fortunate to be a goal ahead at half-time.
Oli McBurnie has now passed 1,000 minutes in a Scotland shirt without scoring a goal
They could have no complaints about the result. Slovenia were the better team on the night and Scotland now need snookers to actually salvage anything meaningful from this Nations League campaign.
In terms of how Pocognoli builds the pieces of this squad long term, his priority should be clear: he needs a goalkeeper he can trust.
Much will, of course, be made of Oli McBurnie going over 1,000 minutes in a Scotland jersey without scoring. And of the defensive lapses last night. Both valid talking points. But if your goalkeeper is routinely weak and unconvincing, what chance do you have?
The Scottish game as a whole has to confront why the goalkeeping pipeline has dried up. One or two Scottish keepers starting in the Premiership on any given weekend is not a healthy sign.
Clubs and the Scottish Football Association need to take the development of young keepers more seriously if the national team is to avoid this cycle of limited choice repeating itself.
Gunn will point to the saves he has made and the clean sheets he has kept in the past. That is fair enough. Keepers live and die by their mistakes more than outfield players, and the scrutiny is harsh. But international selection is not a loyalty scheme.
It is about who gives the team the best chance of winning when the pressure is highest. Right now, there is no trust or faith in Gunn.
Pocognoli has time before the serious stuff really begins. He must use it wisely. Scotland cannot keep turning up for the big occasions with a goalkeeper who doesn’t make basic saves.
Until someone forces the issue or Gunn raises his level consistently, the problem remains.
