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On Andy Robertson's night, it's difficult to not peek across the rest of the Scotland defensive line and wriggle.
The left-back will be lauded – whether he likes it or not – as he earns his 102nd cap, equalling Kenny Dalglish's men's record, against North Macedonia on Friday.
The captain is calling for it to be the King's night as much as his, and while the pair of Liverpool greats can have – and laugh – that out between them, the grace period for a giggle for Sebastien Pocognoli is petering out.
After an underwhelming opening camp, the head coach is in desperate need of a first home win – which he is hoping will come against the only side he's been victorious against in his opening four games.
The starting back three from that night in Skopje – Stephen Welsh, Scott McKenna and Luis Binks – are all out injured, forcing the Belgian to dig deep into the pool of central defenders, where he has pulled out a pair of names from the past in an attempt to arrest the porousness that plagued his debut international window.
Forgotten men Ryan Porteous and David Bates – the latter who last played international football seven years ago – join established but recent red card receiver Jack Hendry, and handful of Scotland-minutes man Luke Graham as the centre-back quartet – but how much of a problem area is it already proving to be for Pocognoli?
In comparison to the embarrassment of riches the head coach has in midfield and, more sparingly, in the forward areas, the heart of the back line is a bit bare.
Whoever slots alongside Tottenham Hotspur's Robertson – whether in Pocognoli's preferred back three, which could see Kieran Tierney shift in on the left side, or flat four – it's unlikely the combined caps haul of his centre-back buddies will come nearly close to his century plus.
The last of Los Angeles FC’s Porteous' 13 came against Greece in March 2025, while Bates picked up four under Alex McLeish six years before that.
Saudi Arabia-based Hendry is closing in on the half-century, while Celtic’s Tierney has surpassed it. Graham got a matter of minutes in North Macedonia after McKenna was dismissed.
Bates was playing in Germany with Hamburg when he faced Albania, Israel, Kazakhstan and San Marino and, after stints at a couple of clubs in Belgium, he's found himself with newly promoted albeit impressive Turkish Super Lig side Amedspor.
"There are a lot of players who are not available for the defensive line, but [David's] not there for nothing," Pocognoli said at Hampden on Thursday.
"He's there because he's performing well in Turkey with a team third in the rankings, in a tough competition."
Managed by Besnik Hasi – who played and managed in the Belgian's homeland – the head coach added: "I know the coach there as well, so I know he's also demanding a lot to the players.
"I can imagine the spirit in which he trains every day and I think for this camp, his experience can help some aspects on the pitch."
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Surely with no-one more so than Stoke City defender Graham, who has been tipped for a start by former England international Kevin Phillips.
Dundee's star performer last season has thrived for the Championship club this term – on the left of a back three – leaving many members of the Tartan Army deflated by the lack of minutes he was afforded last time out.
He came on after 88 minutes in the North Macedonian capital.
They might not be the only ones, too, given the in-form 22-year-old is now, surely, in pole position to face an under-firing North Macedonian front-line.
Friday's visitors have gone 12 games without a victory, failing to score in the latest eight and have lost their past five while conceding 14 goals.
They were "unlucky" to see the Swiss score three though, in Pocognoli's view. How he would take that scoreline in his side's favour now.
Victory is a near-must on matchday five. Sound and solid tactics, with a flavour of imagination and invention too wouldn't go amiss.
The latter qualities were seen as shortcomings of his predecessor, Steve Clarke, but stability in defence was a trademark of Clarke's tenure.
It's imperative Pocognoli picks up that mantle in his search for his first win at Hampden Park.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/big-problem-central-defence-pocognoli-072323992.html
