Space for Gannon-Doak? Does McGinn keep place? Key questions for Pocognoli

Two games, one point, no goals. And a home debut hampered by an early red card.

New Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli might have hoped to know more about his side by now. But little was learned at Hampden on Tuesday as his 10-man team were outclassed by Switzerland.

That makes Saturday’s match in North Macedonia - live on the BBC - even more important. A first win under the Belgian is needed.

How might Scotland achieve that? And what are the key questions facing the head coach?

Change needed in goal?

Goalkeeper Angus Gunn admitted he'd "probably be disappointed" when he looked back at the goals he conceded against the Swiss.

The 30-year-old was Steve Clarke's number one at the World Cup and, since then, has remained in the United States with San Jose Earthquakes.

But a far from successful start at his new club - where he has conceded 23 goals in 11 games - has continued into international duty.

Ricardo Rodriguez's opener was, in pundit Andy Halliday's view, "shoulder height [with] not a lot of pace". Gunn's failure to keep it out was "so poor", he said.

While there was little that could be done for the Swiss' deserved second, the goalkeeper didn't cover himself in glory for the third goal, with Zeki Amdouni's finish going through him.

Gunn's far from convincing performance sparked a conversation around whether he should start on Saturday.

In truth, he probably will due to the lack of better options.

Scott Bain is in the Scottish Premiership with Falkirk, while Jon McCracken is with Bradford in England's League One. Liam Kelly is yet to be anywhere other than the bench for Rangers this term.

But Pocognoli has not shied away from big calls so far - his initial bold squad and his offering of three debuts in two games stand out. It wouldn't be out of the question for him to shake things up in Skopje.

"They were good strikes, but as a goalkeeper, I'm always disappointed when I concede a goal," Gunn acknowledged after facing the Swiss. "I'll look back and see what I could have done better and get better for the next game."

Who knows when that next game will be...

Is Welsh stick-on in defence?

While there is a little uncertainty in goal, Pocognoli may have been given a bit of clarity about the make-up of his defence in his first two games.

Substitute Stephen Welsh was a winner on a grim night against the Swiss.

The Swansea City defender settled nicely into his debut in Slovenia on Saturday on the left side of the back three, and might have felt aggrieved to drop to the bench on Tuesday as the head coach handed a debut to Luis Binks.

But Jack Hendry's red card necessitated a reshuffle and Welsh was restored to the team in a more familiar position on the right and performed admirably again.

Not only is the former Celtic and Motherwell defender vocal and versatile, he is also comfortable carrying the ball - a key asset in Pocognoli's style.

His unexpected home debut ought to help him back into the starting line-up on Saturday, especially with Hendry suspended.

Does Gannon-Doak have to start?

While the second half in Slovenia showed Pocognoli's system can be exciting, it remains unclear if it best suits this Scotland squad?

Two games in and winger Ben Gannon-Doak has yet to start. His impact as a substitute in both has been notable, leading Halliday to say he'd be "shocked" if the Bournemouth player didn't start against Group B1's bottom side.

However, in the Belgian's 3-4-1-2 set-up, there is no obvious place for him. Wing-back would seem the most likely, but the 20-year-old's defensive instincts are not the same as those of Aaron Hickey or Nathan Patterson.

Perhaps Pocognoli needs to be more flexible - something he said he is but has yet to show in his shape. But if he wants to stick to his preference, is this the game to try Gannon-Doak at wing-back?

Is it 'time to talk' McGinn?

Gannon-Doak offers an attacking threat like few others do in a Scotland shirt. He could do with a hand from some pals. John McGinn, anyone?

The Aston Villa captain won a bounty of fouls against the Swiss, and though he was much-improved like the rest in the second half at the Stozice Arena, he's still not reaching the levels he does at his Premier League club.

Pocognoli needs more from the Tartan Army talisman as he hurtles towards a century of caps - he's on 91.

The vice-captain is another whose name has been mentioned in the 'does this system suit Scotland' conversation.

It's been a while since McGinn delivered one of those big performances for his country, but his ability to create a moment of magic and drive a team forward makes him difficult to drop.

Another big call for Pocognoli to ponder...

Does Bowie get another chance to start?

What should be a little more straightforward is giving Kieron Bowie another start.

The Sassuolo striker was sacrificed just over 10 minutes into his first Scotland start to make space for Welsh in defence.

His partnership with Oli McBurnie showed promising signs in the 20 minutes or so they were together in Slovenia, but there was little time to build on that cameo against the Swiss. Surely he and the Hull City striker will get another chance?

If there were any concerns McBurnie wasn't up for the fight - five years on from his last international involvement - they have been quashed in these past two games.

His work-rate as a largely solo striker - hauling his team up and holding the ball in - was commendable. If only Bowie was still on the field for the flurry of flick-ons he won in the first half.

Pocognoli has inherited one of the overriding problems Clarke wrestled with during his spell - scoring goals. That’s four games now without one, and the Scots are just 25 minutes away from setting a new - unwanted - record for failing to score.

In 1970-71, they went 447 minutes without finding the back of the net - it’s been 422 minutes of football since McGinn’s deflected strike against Haiti in Boston.