Scotland Men's Football Team

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Scotland midfielder John McGinn

"We could have done better at times but we're starting a new chapter, learning to play a different way but that was a big setback for us.

"We've got a lot to learn from tonight but a lot to take from it as well.

"I thought Oli McBurnie was outstanding he's had a lot of criticism in a Scotland shirt but tonight was a thankless task and he gave everything for us.

"Going down to 10 men, it's a test of character, you need to dig in. It's a huge learning curve for us and when we play them away we need to win now."

Scotland captain Andy Robertson

"Your first home game under the new manager, you want to get off to a good start.

"It got off to the worst possible start getting a man sent off early doors. It [the game] was incredibly hard with 11 men on the pitch, it was even harder with 10.

"We hardly touched the ball second half but it didn't stop the lads from fighting for each other.

"Football is about split second decisions, Jack Hendry has tried to nick the ball. As soon as the referee said it was outside the box I thought we would have been better taking the penalty and the yellow card. It's a difficult night but we won't try and let it get in the way of our process. We've got a new manager and a new squad so we have to try to stay positive.

"Going into the next game we have to try to forget about it.

"I think he [the manager] was proud of the fight that we showed. What we've planned for the last three days went completely out the window. We had to rip up the plan and try something else.

"Ultimately I don't think we'll take too much from this game in terms of how we want to look as a Scotland team.

"It's up to everyone to stay positive. I'm proud of how the camp has gone so far we just need to get the results."

Scotland debutant Luis Binks

"It's a massive honour for me. I'm over the moon.

"It didn't go how we wanted, but the red card changed the game. They're a good team and they punished us.

"It's football, it can happen.

"The first five or six minutes, we started quite well. We stuck together. I don't feel they had big chances or really carved through us. When you have 10 men for that long, spaces will open up.

"We've got another game in a few days to put it right. We know we're good enough to win. We'll be OK - it's a process with the new manager."

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Burnley's Zeki Amdouni is likely to get the nod up front again for Switzerland against Scotland after the 25-year-old's two goals and assist in Saturday's 3-0 win in North Macedonia, but Swiss football podcaster Paddy Gunn wonders if Murat Yakin might spring a surprise.

Amdouni deputised for the suspended Breel Embolo, but the Atlanta United striker is still now absent from the squad amid claims over pandemic Covid tests that have also sidelined key midfielder Granit Xhaka.

"What that means is Switzerland are without that big physical presence up top that Embolo usually brings," Gunn told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"They probably go with Zeki Amdouni. He's small, he's fast, he's good with his feet.

"If Yakin and his coaching staff want to go with something different, they have a young striker on the bench called Winsley Boteli, who's in fantastic form in Switzerland [with Sion].

"I was surprised he didn't get the nod against Macedonia - he came on for his debut with a few minutes left. He's a little bit more physical, a little bit better at holding up the ball."

Ardon Jashari took on Xhaka's role in North Macedonia "and I'm quite excited about that personally" as "I've been watching him ever since he was at Lucerne... and now at Milan and just seems to be getting better and better, but I think he's kind of flown under the radar a little bit in terms of just how good he is".

Similarly, "amazing goalkeeper" Gregor Kobel "often gets overlooked considering how consistent he's been at [Borussia] Dortmund and for Switzerland".

However, Gunn suggested that full-back could be where Scotland could "get some joy", with Torino's Ricardo Rodriguez getting to the veteran stage at 34 on the left.

Meanwhile, on the right, 21-year-old Zachary Athekame, who is on loan to Lyon from AC Milan, made his debut on Saturday and "is a little bit untested".

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Switzerland have "a ridiculously talented squad" who are "probably a league apart" from Scotland at present as the sides prepare to meet in the Nations League on Tuesday, according to football analyst John Walker.

Following their 3-0 win in North Macedonia, Switzerland are the second test of Sebastien Pocognoli's reign as head coach after their 0-0 draw in Slovenia.

"If Switzerland had faced the Scotland side in the first half, we wouldn't have had a second half we could have come back from," Walker said on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Switzerland would have scored goals against us the way we played the first half against Slovenia."

Murat Yakin's side have only lost once in 10 outings - to Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals.

"At the World Cup, if it'd not been for the red card at the time when it happened, they would have probably went on to beat Argentina as well because I felt they were on the ascendancy at that point," Walker suggested.

"A ridiculously talented squad. They're probably a league apart from us just now and I wish it had been a test we weren't getting so early on in the Pocognoli era."

Walker believes the absence of Xhaka "is a huge miss" for the visitors.

"But then I look at the top end and it's just pace, it's power, it's talent, it's goals," he said. "I would be a little bit afraid about that."

Walker thinks Scotland's best hope would be to force Switzerland "to play long" as that would suit the home central defence and believes the introduction of pace on the wing, with the likes of Ben Gannon-Doak and Josh McPake, could pay dividends.

Meanwhile, he believes Oli McBurnie would be preferable as the sole striker because of his current greater experience of playing against Premier League-quality defenders.

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Scott Brown thinks Bournemouth winger Ben Gannon-Doak's chances of starting for Scotland against Switzerland on Tuesday depend on how aggressive new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli is prepared to be against very dangerous opponents.

The Belgian has vowed to play more on the front foot and former Scotland midfielder Brown thinks that was evident in the second half in Saturday's 0-0 draw in Slovenia, when the Scots were "a bit more free-flowing, wing-backs higher, a little bit of change of shape as well".

But he warned: "Switzerland is going to be a hard game and they have had a fantastic result, 3-0 in North Macedonia.

"Scotland are going to get caught over the top sometimes with that style, and you saw there the other day, but they had the pace to deal with it.

"There's a lot of good things from this shape, but it is going to be completely different against Switzerland.

"Will they press their wingers high and wide and leave them there and be super aggressive?"

That could force Scotland's wing-backs to be more defensive.

"If you want to be more defensive and have an extra defender on the park then the only place Ben Gannon-Doak can probably play is a number 10," Brown told BBC Radio Scotland.

"But, if you want him to play that wing-back in a super aggressive style, I do believe he can do it and I've seen in previous games he does work back and he's got that good work rate and that excellent end product.

"He is somebody the fans really enjoy and like to see because he can open the door and he is very good one v one and he excites the crowd as well.

"But that defensive minded wing-back is not really his game if I'm honest. Can he do it here and there when Scotland have more possession of the ball?"

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Head coach Murat Yakin missed Switzerland's pre-match media conference before Tuesday's match with Scotland, with the Swiss FA saying Yakin had "hearing problems".

"He struggled with the pressure from the flight so can't participate in this press conference," the organisation said.

"He will be at the training session and we hope these complaints will be solved, as has been the case in the past, and he can be in good health for the game.

"There were some problems with the weight as we entered the flight. It means we had to land again in Zurich and they had to put more fuel in the engine."

Yakin's assistant, Davide Calla, said the Swiss, who opened their Nations League campaign with victory over North Macedonia as the Scots drew with Slovenia, have "spent a lot of time looking at Scotland".

And Calla explained: "With the change of coach it will be a different proposition to the Euros but we know what to expect.

"They will be robust, play with a lot of passion and they have a lot of quality players, especially in midfield, with the ball at their feet. In the second half against Slovenia they showed the quality they have. It was clear Scotland were better in the second half.

"It's an absolute highlight playing at this brilliant stadium. We'll have lots of motivation to play in this big match."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Lewis Ferguson hailed the return of Scotland team-mate Billy Gilmour and said he hopes their midfield partnership can flourish for years to come.

Injuries have prevented the pair having much of a run together in the national team, with Ferguson missing Euro 2024 before Gilmour also suffered a devastating blow when he was ruled out of the World Cup in the summer.

However, after the duo impressed in Saturday's goalless draw against Slovenia, Bologna's Ferguson hopes that is about to change.

"I missed him over the summer. He's a good friend of mine," Ferguson said.

"We're really close. We've got a good relationship on and off the pitch. We work well with each other. It was great to be back alongside him.

"We've played loads of times together, whether that was in the Scotland Under-21s or in the Rangers youth academy as well. It was great to have him back."

Gilmour missed the World Cup in the United States after sustaining a knee injury during Scotland's warm-up match against Curacao at Hampden in May.

He did travel to support the team, but only as a spectator.

The Napoli midfielder is now back playing for his club and country, and Ferguson could not be more delighted.

"I'm so happy to see him back this season and playing football, which was so important for him after a difficult summer," Ferguson added.

"We've both had those setbacks and similar experiences. I've known Billy since I was nine or 10 years old. We've watched each other grow. We've played with each other in the Scotland Under-19s, Under-21s and first team. It's a nice story.

"I love playing beside him. I think we work well with each other. We've probably never had that chance to get a run in the team together.

"I thought it worked at the weekend. I thought we played pretty well in the middle of the pitch, especially in the second half when we were so dominant.

"I certainly enjoy playing alongside him and hopefully there are many more times."

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Sebastien Pocognoli is anticipating "a special moment" as he takes charge of Scotland at Hampden for the first time.

Switzerland are the visitors in Tuesday's Nations League match, with the Swiss having beaten North Macedonia on Saturday, when the Scots drew with Slovenia.

"It will be a special moment, first time at home," said Belgian Pocognoli. "I've been really looking forward to that moment since I've been appointed.

"As a new gaffer, that was really the date that was in my schedule that I want to experience.

"I'm really looking forward to it and I really hope we can have a great game and we can have a good feeling after the game.

"It's a mix of excitement, but also I really want to give something nice tomorrow with the players."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Head coach Sebastien Pocognoli has been speaking to the media before Scotland host Switzerland in the Nations League on Tuesday - live on the BBC.

Here are some of his key points:

• It will be a "special moment" for him - his first night at Hampden - and he has been looking forward to it since he became head coach of the national team.

• He says the Scotland fans will reflect what they see on the pitch on Tuesday. He believes if Scotland are brave they will have the Tartan Army's support, but he also wants that backing to be there in challenging moments.

• Reflecting on the Slovenia match on Saturday, he says the defenders and goalkeeper were happy as they kept a clean sheet. On the failure to score and the chances missed, he admits it is only "one game" and adds that "it's not a concern".

• He says the onus to get goals is not just on the strikers and that "they can create chances from other areas". He says it will take time, but the Slovenia game showed many of the things they have been working on.

• On Switzerland, he describes them as "tough opposition" but says it is "fantastic to play against this kind of opponent". He adds that they have a lot of good young players coming through.

• On his approach, he says nothing will change despite the opponents. He still wants to be "aggressive and take control of the game if they can", and he "believes this team" can play like this.

• On his squad, he says everyone is fit and that over the four games he wants to find a balance between getting results and seeing a different approach on the pitch.

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Former Celtic and Switzerland centre-half Ramon Vega says current national head coach Murat Yakin has "done a wonderful job" as he prepares to bring his side to Hampden Park on Tuesday.

And he believes "Scotland will have a very difficult opponent with Switzerland" in the second round of Nations League group games.

The Swiss opened with a 3-0 win on Saturday in North Macedonia, "which is not an easy place to go and they also have some good quality players".

Vega pointed out that "Switzerland had a very good World Cup - one of their best in 70 years".

"My ex-teammate, Murat Yakin, the coach, has done a wonderful job so far and that 3-0 is a good start - a fantastic result," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

The former Grasshoppers and Basel centre-half has blended experienced, quality players with up-and-coming talent, with Vega picking out Aston Villa summer signing Johan Manzambi for particular praise after being "fantastic at the World Cup".

"Nobody thought he would come into the squad in the first place because he was playing for Freiburg in the Bundesliga," he suggested.

"But Aston Villa had a good eye and he has had a huge impact in the Premier League in that number 10 scenario and scoring goals."

Vega recognised that Scotland will be a "difficult opponent, especially at Hampden", but he pointed out that, in contrast to his day, 90% of Switzerland's players now play abroad and have experience of playing in hostile environments in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A.