Pocognoli may require patience to deliver on Scotland shake-up

Clarke's reign was more about functionality than flare. It was a formula that brought positive qualifying results, whether fans found it easy on the eye or not.

Some of those colouring the streets of Ljubljana are still scarred from the summer heartache at the prompt World Cup exit, while others are taking notes of the picturesque surroundings as inspiration for statues of the former manager.

Pragmatism hauled Scotland back on to the biggest stage after a 28-year absence.

But, once there, Clarke's side made a pitiful attempt to steal any headlines from the supporters who shone in Boston and Miami.

That's something that will be expected of Pocognoli, making a bit of noise at major tournaments, by way of the nice football he teased, too.

As he acknowledged, the "foundations" are there. Wise old heads remain in the squad and will be required as the young guns make the jump.

Captain Andy Robertson has been impressed by the new additions' "energy and enthusiasm". It's reignited something inside him too.

As long as Pocognoli has the buy-in of the skipper - who he met for dinner and had multiple chats with before kicking off the training camp in La Manga - the rest should follow. And he will need them all.

In Spain, where the squad sweated through their drills earlier this week, players had to be peeled off the pitch, exerting themselves to their fullest in an attempt to put themselves in the frame for a start.

There's a feeling that, although this is a new-look squad, it won't be so much a new-look team. It's more how they're asked to play.

The sweeping assumption is Pocognoli will go with a 3-4-3 - aggressive from the off, suffocating in the final third - in one of the system's many variations.

Several national teams have changed managers since the World Cup, although Pocognoli is not garnering the same attention as Jurgen Klopp, Xavi Hernandez or Zinedine Zidane. Wonder why?

He has overseen just 107 games in his spells in charge at Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco, after a playing career at left-back earned him 13 caps for Belgium.

Compared to Clarke, and many others on the international scene, he is somewhat inexperienced.

As is his squad. Twelve of them were not in the United States. Eight are yearning for a first cap. Pocognoli has cast his first net far and wide.

Sevilla striker Robbie Ure, Brondby captain Luis Binks and late addition Kristi Montgomery may never have had a look in under Clarke. Not an age thing, but Oli McBurnie is finally back with a point to prove.

James Wilson and Findlay Curtis were both capped by Clarke - the latter made two World Cup cameos - but both have been released to the under-21s for their important hosting of Azerbaijan on Wednesday.

The focus on youth, led by SFA chief football officer Craig Mulholland, is a far cry from the output the last time Scotland were in Slovenia.

After an agonising 2-2 draw in 2017, which ended their hopes of a place at the 2018 World Cup, then-manager Gordon Strachan famously pointed towards genetics for his side's failure.

The Slovenes, who appointed former centre-back Bostjan Cesar, sent off in the dying minutes of that game in 2017 back in January, are in a sticky spot with just one win in 10.

Whisper it, but Scotland should win here. But it's about more than that as they get to grips with Pocognoli.

It could be argued there was no better time to roll the dice. It's a relatively stress-free opening for him with Switzerland at home and North Macedonia away before they meet Slovenia again at Hampden on 6 October - all in the knowledge there are a couple of back-door routes to the Euros in two years' time.

With that in the mind, the new manager will be granted a grace period by punters. Eleven days is more than most are awarded.