For some members of the Tartan Army, familiarity with Steve Clarke and his style of play had long since bred a level of contempt, even before the disappointing performances his Scotland side produced at the World Cup. But the cold hard facts, with Clarke taking the country to three tournaments from the last four, make him the national side’s most successful ever manager.
That, naturally, makes him a hard act to follow. While Sebastien Pocognoli has stepped into those formidable shoes knowing that a departure from the sometimes overtly cautious approach of Clarke will win him quick favour, he also knows that the bar of regular qualification for tournaments is one he must now meet as a base requirement.
But that is not where the Belgian is setting his sights. With all due respect to his predecessor, Pocognoli is aiming to build on the foundations laid by Clarke, not simply aspire to emulate his achievements.
For Scotland under his charge, qualification to the big stage should no longer be enough. For Pocognoli, it is finally time for the national side to break the glass ceiling and look to make an impact once they get there.
“The bar is very high, I know this,” Pocognoli said.
“But it's a timeline. It's a change and you have to deal with this heritage. The heritage is massively positive and we can use it. If I put this as a pressure, we are not going to go the right way. I have to use it as a benefit to embrace.
“I would just push even higher the expectation about what was produced [in the past] to reach another level. You see, we have invited new faces to help. Hopefully we will find a way.
“It’s really difficult for me to talk about expectations for the previous coach but those expectations are probably there because people believe in the team and the quality of the players. I also believe in that.
“There’s a lot of quality who are not here today but obviously we have a lot of quality with us, so I can understand that expectation. Steve and his staff made Scotland massively famous on the map across the last two tournaments, so that is the standard. And I hope we can reach this and push the limit even higher with good football on the pitch. That’s something important for me.”
Pocognoli is amiable and pleasant to chat to, but as with all the best managers, he gives off an air that suggests you wouldn’t want to be a player who had gotten on his bad side. But where he is tough with his players is in the expectations he sets for them, and the standards they should be aspiring to when they represent their country.
“The tough side of me is on the pitch,” he said.
“When we work, it’s 200 percent committed and focused. But the boys already work like this so it’s easy for me as a coach.
“But yeah, I hope in future I won’t have to be too tough. The only thing for me that will be disappointing is if we don’t follow what we’ve prepared. Outside the pitch I’m also very sharp on this because we need to be ready for the next training session. I have my eyes on everything. But we have fantastic players with good leaders who manage the discipline well.
“I give them expectations and standards. If you don’t follow through standards and give me a good reason to play you…I believe that the expectations are part of the process to be successful.
“Most of the time if you don’t do it, it’s because of ego. And I don’t think we are a country that can accept someone having too much ego.
“Ego is part of football, but we just have to stay in the lines and do the best for your team-mates and the collective.”
So, a new dawn awaits. Here in La Manga, Pocognoli has had a few sessions with his men and the odd meeting to get his ideas across, and to begin the process of reshaping the national side.
It would be natural then if the Belgian was pleading for patience from the Tartan Army as he looks to implement his philosophy in such a short window before the intense Nations League program kicks off on Saturday evening in Ljubljana, but instead, he is happy to stoke excitement about what may lie ahead in this new era for Scotland.
"Patience is something that you gain,” he said.
"If people can see that there is a realistic path to what I want to produce on the pitch and you can see a clear vision, I think that we will get as long as possible to bring the exciting football for the fans, which is also very important.
"There are many ways to go through that process and get to that style, but we need to be good, and that is the most important thing.
"Yes, we don't have a lot of games to prepare what is coming next. We have six games here and we want to combine good results with good collective performances and also individually, because that is part of the process. That is what is also important for me.
“It’s the same for all new coaches who represent countries when that new coach is just starting.
“It’s up to me to be the most consistent I can be, in the shortest period of time. I need to be clear without overloading the players with information.
“That can be confusing if you want to go through each detail. In the national team, details count. But we first need to concentrate on the big topic, and that is what we are trying to do this week.
"We have to find the right balance, because to produce good football, you need some time, but this squad is really talented.
"Today, we have gone through some ideas, and these quality players, they pick things up very quickly.”
Just how quickly, we will see in a few days’ time.
