Points must take precedence over plaudits for skipper for Scotland manager in Skopje

Matthew Lindsay argues that Scotland and manager Sebastien Pocognoli must prioritize securing three points over celebrating captain Andy Robertson's 100th cap against North Macedonia in Skopje. Robertson is set to become only the second player in Scotland's history to reach a century of international appearances, moving within two caps of record holder Sir Kenny Dalglish. Despite the milestone, Lindsay stresses that avoiding a defeat is crucial to prevent early backlash against the new manager.

Scotland enters the Nations League match amid a four-game scoreless run and will set an unwanted historical record if they fail to score within the first 22 minutes. Pocognoli, who replaced Steve Clarke in August, acknowledged the importance of a victory while maintaining that implementing his new tactical process and squad changes will take time.