Scotland Men's Football Team

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Callum Davidson believes other Scottish players can emulate the route Robbie Ure has taken to reach international level.

Ure, 22, made his Scotland debut in Saturday's 0-0 Nations League opener with Slovenia in Ljubljana.

He came through at Rangers and moved to Belgium and Sweden before joining Sevilla earlier this year.

"A lot of young Scottish players can look at the route he's gone down to get there," former Scotland left-back Davidson told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

"There's other ways to get to the top level. He's done it a different way.

"He looks like he's got good athleticism. He's playing at a good level."

Oli McBurnie and Ure started in attack and the latter fired against the outside of the post in the first half before being replaced by Kieron Bowie in the second.

"Sometimes I like when you see your strikers creating chances for themselves," former St Johnstone boss Davidson said of the near miss.

"Two strikers, because it's gone out of fashion, a lot of the young guys coming through, they've only played one on their own. It's something different for them."

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Michael Stewart fears the system Scotland are playing under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli will not best showcase the squad's talent.

An improved second-half performance in Slovenia almost brought victory for Scotland in Saturday's Nations League opener but they ultimately had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

"One concern I would have moving forward when a manager is ideologically stuck to a system prior to actually dealing with a team or a group of players," Stewart told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

"I've just got a bit of a concern as to seeing how you fit the likes of Ben Gannon-Doak or Josh McPake, who's been outstanding so far - how do they fit into this system? Scott McTominay's obviously got to come back as well.

"Where do you get those guys into the team as well because, for all the good play and opportunities that we created late on, a lot of that came when Ben Gannon-Doak came on high up on the right-hand side.

"You're trying to get your best players on to the park, irrespective of what the system. I'm just a little bit concerned that we're not going to be able to get our best players on the park in the areas of the pitch that are going to cause problems for the opposition."

Stewart regarded Saturday's result as "two points dropped" for the Scots, who played three at the back, wing-backs either side of two central midfielders and three players high up the pitch.

And Stewart praised the performance of "absolute gem" Billy Gilmour.

"He needs to be if not the first name on the sheet then certainly one of them and you need to build round him," Stewart said.

"You need to get him in positions where he can get on the ball, feed the likes of John McGinn, Scott McTominay, Josh McPake, Ben Gannon-Doak, Robbie Ure, Kieron Bowie.

"He's got to be the fulcrum of the side. He's the one that has that genuine top-class ability. You need to get him on the ball in the centre of the park."

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• Scotland have won just one of their last six gmaes with Switzerland, losing twice, with this their first meeting since a 1-1 draw at Euro 2024.

• Switzerland have won just one of their eight visits to Scotland, losing five times, although that was in their latest visit - by 3-1 in a March 2006 friendly.

• Scotland have failed to score in their latest three internationals, twice at the World Cup and in Saturday's Nations League opener in Slovenia. They last failed to score in four consecutive matches between February and May 1971.

• Switzerland's 3-1 extra-time defeat by Argentina in this summer's World Cup quarter-final is their only loss in 10 games, while Scotland are without a win in three since beating Haiti at the finals.

• Switzerland were 3-0 winners over North Macedonia on Saturday, their biggest away win in the Nations League. They are yet to win back-to-back away matches in the competition.

• Saturday's 0-0 draw in Slovenia was Scotland's first under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. The last manager to keep a clean sheet in his first two games in charge of the Tartan Army was Andy Roxburgh in 1986 (0-0 draws with both Bulgaria and Republic of Ireland).

• Switzerland faced just two shots and no shots on target against North Macedonia, both record lows for them in a Nations League match – they have kept three clean sheets across their last four matches in all competitions.

• Hull City striker Oli McBurnie has failed to score in all 17 of his appearances for Scotland in all competitions, with the goalless draw at Slovenia his first game for the national side in 2,005 days.

• Burnley midfielder Zeki Amdouni was directly involved in all three of Switzerland's goals in their victory over North Macedonia (two goals, one assist), the first player to have three goal involvements in a Nations League match for the Swiss since Haris Seferovic against Belgium in November 2018.

Bobby Williamson admits his application to be the new Scotland head coach was not realistic despite Ally McCoist, Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson agreeing to be assistants, especially as his European coaching licence lapsed 10 years ago, but suggests his record of leading Kilmarnock to a Scottish Cup win and four regional titles with Uganda is "not a bad career". (The Scotsman, external)

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip in full.

The Sebastien Pocognoli era got off to a steady start as a resurgent Scotland drew with streetwise Slovenia in Group B1 of the Nations League.

The Belgian replaced Steve Clarke - who left after the Scots' World Cup exit - with the vision of new attacking and aggressive football, and though an immediate transition was never likely, the signs of his style were on show after the break.

Read the match report here.

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Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli tells BBC Scotland: "I think we had two games in the same game, but you can analyse in a positive way both of them.

"First half, was not what we expected in terms of structure, we were in between for the press, actually we were a little bit surprised about the formation of Slovenia, but at half-time we fixed this and you can see that the second half was much better.

"We produced what we wanted to show every minute, but first half we learned to stick together, to defend the box, to be resilient and to be patient to change the game.

"We were also challenging about set-pieces, after five minutes we had many set-pieces to defend in, so that's the positive way to look at the first half, it was not always positive, but in the second half we had a game on the ball against a low block.

"So we had a lot of good movement through the side, through the lines and we should have scored to be honest, but the counter-press was good, the high [line] of the defence was good, just because the position of the players was better.

"Clean sheet, that's also positive, but we want to win, but I think we can take this positively."

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Scotland striker Oli McBurnie tells BBC Scotland: "It took us a bit of getting used to in the first half, the way the gaffer wants to play.

"We created enough chances to win the game. I should have scored.

"I was asked to play a different position, and I enjoyed it. I'd rather be getting in the positions than not getting chances.

"Second half was a lot more of what the manager wanted from us. It was waves of pressure, and the only thing missing was a goal or two."

Scotland defender Stephen Welsh tells BBC Scotland: "Thought we struggled to get into the game first half, but second half we completely dominated the game.

"They've got a top goalie who made really good saves. So many positives to take and a clean sheet as well.

"We changed shape a wee bit at half-time to get more control, and that did really well for us.

"It's a big game again on Tuesday, so it's important to recover now and go again.

"I've played on the left-hand side for a couple of years now, so I'm comfortable doing that.

"We've had a great week. A new manager, new way of playing and new faces in camp. It's just the chances we need to take - the fact we're creating the chances stands us in good stead."

Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour tells BBC Scotland: "Yeah, the two halves were totally different.

"I think in the first half we were still getting to grips with the situations off the ball and on the ball, but the second half is a good performance.

"Obviously, you need to score. We've had great chances. We never took them, but it's definitely something to build on.

"I mean, we're walking off gutted that we never scored, but in the second half it was really good.

"Of course we're disappointed, we created enough chances to maybe take the game, but yeah, we came off having given it all.

"I'm really happy to be back with the boys, I missed them.

"Of course, World Cup, missing out on a dream, but to be back around the boys and to get that feeling on the pitch again is amazing."

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Slovenia captain Jan Oblak suggests Scotland already played "beautiful football" even before the appointment of new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli.

The Belgian is expected to tweak the visitors' style as he takes charge for the first time since the departure of Steve Clarke in Saturday's Nations League opener in Ljubljana.

But 33-year-old Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Oblak was impressed by Gordon Strachan's side as he conceded two goals on Scotland's last visit, albeit a draw meant both sides failed to qualify for the 2018 European Championships in Russia.

"Scotland is a demanding opponent," he said. "Whenever we played against them, we had big problems."

Indeed, Slovenia have failed to win in five meetings with the Scots, losing twice.

"It was always said that Scotland is only strong on the long ball, on breaks," Oblak added. "That was maybe 15, 20 years ago. That is no longer the case.

"Scotland plays beautiful football - they know how to play. The last time we played in Scotland, I remember that we were preparing for long balls, for breakaways, but they dropped the ball on the ground in the first minutes and had three 100% chances in the first 10 minutes.

"The group is very demanding and Scotland is a very high-quality team, not least because they played at the last World Cup and showed that they are a high-quality team and that they also have very good individuals in their ranks."

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Slovenia head coach Bostjan Cesar is convinced his side are capable of generating "new energy" and their "true colours" despite the loss of three key players in three days before starting their Nations League campaign at home to Scotland on Saturday.

Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko was the major blow, but then two replacements - Viborg defender Zan Zaletel and Jagiellonia Bialystok forward Nik Prelec, who had been drafted into the squad after injuries to defenders Kenan Bajric and Marcel Ratnik - also withdrew.

Omonia left-back Jure Balkovec and Basel forward Zan Celar, plus Celje goalkeeper Zan Luka Leban, were the latest additions and Cesar lamented: "We had quite a few problems, a bit more of a headache for me.

"But new players came in who were already in the national team, so they're no strangers to it, they've fitted in well."

Captain Jan Oblak, meanwhile, backed his side to overcome the loss of Sesko, who he believes "will succeed" with United once he recovers from the recurrence of a shin injury that has hampered his career since his move from RB Leipzig last year.

"I believe the team is good," the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper said. "We are all aware that it is not an individual who will take us to the European Championships but a team."

Oblak suggested the new Nations League format - with four fixtures in quick succession - favours the larger nations with a bigger playing pool but insists his side cannot "use it as an excuse".

Meanwhile, as Slovenia look to beat Scotland for the first time in five meetings, Cesar, who took charge in January after their failure to qualify for the World Cup, aims to return to a style that previously brought the national team success - being hard to break down and playing with speed on the break.