Sébastien Pocognoli believes a “smiling” Billy Gilmour can play a pivotal role as Scotland look to recover and progress after a disappointing World Cup campaign.
Gilmour impressed after the interval on Saturday as Pocognoli’s first match in charge finished in a goalless Nations League draw away to Slovenia. The Napoli midfielder was sidelined by injury during the World Cup, where Scotland were eliminated in the group stage. Ahead of Tuesday evening’s meeting with Switzerland at Hampden Park, Pocognoli said: “When a player can move the ball with one touch without needing to look, it shows he understands the tactical plan.”
“There are not many players with that ability, even in the Switzerland squad. My job is to help him rediscover his happiness on the pitch, and he was smiling after the match. In Slovenia, I saw the version of Billy who played for Brighton. His role at Napoli is slightly different, with more emphasis on his work without the ball. But he is happiest when he can express himself in possession. He will make mistakes, as he did with a few misplaced passes against Slovenia, but he must accept those risks to demonstrate his strengths.
“I want Billy to play with freedom and enjoy himself. If he does that, everything else should follow. I remember watching him at Brighton and thought his performances there were excellent.”
Scotland held Monday’s training session at Hampden rather than at their usual facility nearby, as Pocognoli wanted the newer members of the squad to become accustomed to the stadium. “It does not appear outdated, but its history is something you can sense,” he said.
Pocognoli has also cautioned that players receiving limited minutes at club level may find it increasingly difficult to retain a place in the Scotland squad. Ben Gannon-Doak, Ryan Christie and Aaron Hickey are among the important members of his group who have seen little domestic action this season. Although the Belgian coach is not overly concerned at present, his position may change when qualification for Euro 2028 gets under way next year.
“I expect Ben to get opportunities because Bournemouth are competing in the Europa League,” Pocognoli said. “He will be given minutes. Billy has also featured more often since the Champions League began, and clubs will increasingly rotate their squads. My main concern is what happens by March. If these players are still not playing regularly, we could have difficulty meeting the physical demands of matches.
“The required intensity is extremely high. At the moment, their pre-season preparation means the situation is manageable. We will reassess it in November, but ultimately we need players who are getting competitive minutes.”
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