SEBASTIEN POCOGNOLI kicked off his Scotland managerial career with a goalless draw against Slovenia yesterday.
The new man ripped up Steve Clarke’s World Cup Finals plan from the summer and introduced some fresh faces such as Robbie Ure, Kristi Montgomery, Luke Graham and Luis Blinks to a revitalised squad.
Unfortunately, he also recalled the stupendously awful Oli McBurnie, zero goals in 17 appearances, after the Hull City striker’s five years in international cold storage, but that’s a story for another day.
Colby Donovan was included in the pool of 23 players, but the nearest the 20-year-old right-back got to the action was a seat in the stand.
OUT…Kieran Tierney had to withdraw from Sebastien Pocognoli’d first Scotland squad.
Kieran Tierney, of course, had been included, but had to withdraw with an injury problem.
Ironically, Stephen Welsh, allowed to leave the champions for free in the summer despite having a year still to run on his contract, was given his senior debut in the opening Nations League encounter.
The Scots face Switzerland, who thrashed North Macedonia 3-0 away last night, at Hampden on Tuesday and it’s likely that once again there will be no Celtic player stripped for action.
It’s hardly surprising when you look at Martin O’Neill’s current squad.
Anthony Ralston was dropped by Pocognoli after making a cameo role in the 3-0 loss to Brazil in Miami in June, a defeat that saw the Scots heading home without a win in their three games among football’s elite.
Dane Murray struggles to get a look-in at the Hoops and Luke McCowan, earnest performer though he may be, probably hasn’t caught the eye of the new gaffer.
Callum McGregor has retired from the international scene and that leaves James Forrest as the only other Parkhead-based Scot who could play a role in the Belgian’s grand plans.
At 35 and with 39 caps in his trophy-laden career, his international future is almost certainly behind him.
Contrast the present situation with that of Craig Brown’s 22-man squad for the World Cup Finals in France in the summer of 1998.
Nine – yes, NINE – Celtic players were involved in the global extravaganza. Take a deep breath, dear reader, the Hoops who made that trip were Jonathan Gould, Jackie McNamara, Tosh McKinlay, Tom Boyd, Craig Burley, John Collins, Paul Lambert, Darren Jackson and Simon Donnelly.
THE WAY WE WERE…James Forrest in action during one of his 39 Scotland appearances.
The inclusion of the last named created a bit of a stooshie down Govan way when Ally McCoist was ditched to make way for the young Hoops striker.
Wee Ally’s dummy is probably still ricocheting around somewhere in the solar system.
The selection of the Celts was in recognition of Wim Jansen’s side winning their first title in a decade, thanks to a strong Scottish backbone.
And a bloke called Henrik Larsson, of course.
I don’t care if a player is from Warsaw or Wishaw, just as long as he can contribute to the Celtic cause.
However, it is a worrying trend that there is precious little to get excited about when you examine the lack of homegrown talent emerging from the youth academy.
Then you have the likes of Ben Gannon-Doak, a performer in Slovenia yesterday, who shows some genuine promise and is then whisked off to Liverpool with Celtic receiving peanuts in compensation.
In the main, though, the production line seems to have hit a brickwall.
There must be a valid reason for that.
I’ll leave that little conundrum for the many coaches at Lennoxtown to solve.
ALEX GORDON
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