One of the main concerns during the final years of Clarke’s tenure is likely to remain an issue at the beginning of Pocognoli’s time in charge.
Angus Gunn was the first-choice goalkeeper at the World Cup. Although his move to San Jose Earthquakes has provided him with more regular playing time, he has let in a worrying 21 goals across nine Major League Soccer appearances. However, he did produce four strong saves during San Jose’s victory on Thursday.
Craig Gordon and Liam Kelly were also part of the squad for the tournament. Gordon has since ended his playing career, while Kelly has not appeared since Derek McInnes became Rangers manager in the summer, potentially leaving two goalkeeper positions available in the upcoming squad.
Scott Bain may have considered himself unfortunate to miss June’s trip across the Atlantic, especially after playing consistently for Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership and earning his fourth international appearance against Ivory Coast in April.
His season has begun solidly. After bouncing back from a mistake against Celtic, he delivered several excellent saves against Dundee United, and Falkirk manager John McGlynn recently backed him to start for Scotland later this month.
Liam McFarlane is unlikely to compete for the number-one role immediately, but the 21-year-old appears to be a strong candidate for selection as the third-choice goalkeeper.
Since moving on loan from Hearts to Partick Thistle during the summer, following his involvement as a training goalkeeper in Clarke’s World Cup squad, he has conceded only once in five Championship matches and is highly regarded at both club and international level.
With Scotland having faced persistent uncertainty in this position, bringing the promising youngster into the squad sooner rather than later could be a sensible decision with the future in mind.
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