After weeks of speculation following the World Cup finals, Scotland have announced the appointment of Belgian Sebastien Pocognoli as their new head coach.
The Belgian fills the void left by Steve Clarke, after his decision to step down after this summer's tournament, with his first games in charge coming in September.
Pocognoli enjoyed a 17-year playing career before starting his coaching journey with the Belgian Under-18s in 2023.
Since then, the 39-year-old has had spells in charge of Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco, so what can the Scotland fans expect from their new coach?
Mulholland promises excitement
A section of the Tartan Army will question the decision not to select a Scottish coach, especially after a previous bad experience with their only other overseas appointment.
German Berti Vogts had a two-year spell in charge of Scotland, between 2002 and 2004, winning just nine of his 32 matches.
Scottish FA chief football officer Craig Mulholland, though, thinks the Scotland fans should be upbeat about the new man at the helm.
Mulholland insists that Pocognoli will bring an "aggressive, front-foot style of play" and that the football on the pitch will "excite supporters".
The Belgian himself has described his brand of football as "dominant" and says he likes his team to have "mastery in possession".
The fact that Pocognoli has coached at youth level will have also been a bonus for the Scotland officials, who will hope he can integrate the nation's young stars into the senior squad.
New system could help defensive issues
One criticism aimed at the Scots in recent years has been their defensive fragility, with a particular lack of international-quality central defenders.
Pocognoli regularly played with a 3-4-2-1 formation during his time in charge of Monaco, which saw the midfield four offering protection for the back three.
The wide players in the midfield four are often pacy, with former Brighton and Sunderland winger Simon Adingra used on the left side for Monaco.
That role would suit someone like Ben Gannon-Doak or Findlay Curtis, who both broke into the set-up under Clarke.
Other young hopefuls will also be looking to impress the new coach and stake their claim for a regular spot in the Scotland squad.
Manchester United midfielder Tyler Fletcher, Sassuolo's on-loan striker Kieron Bowie, Udinese teenager Lennon Miller and Sevilla striker Robbie Ure are predicted to all make an impact.
Stern test to start Pocognoli's reign
Pocognoli will get an early look at how his squad perform, with four Nations League games taking place across September and October.
Scotland - who are 7/2 to win League B Group 1 - start with a trip to Slovenia on Saturday 26th September, before a home clash with Switzerland three days later.
On 3rd October, Pocognoli will take his side to North Macedonia before a home fixture with Slovenia on Tuesday 6th October.
It will then be a six-week wait until Scotland are back in action, with two more games in November before the end of 2026.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
