Alan Shearer tells Tartan Army to lower expectations ahead of Sébastien Pocognoli debut

Former England striker Alan Shearer has urged Scotland supporters to temper expectations ahead of Sébastien Pocognoli's debut match as manager against Slovenia. Pocognoli took over following Steve Clarke's departure after the summer World Cup, where Scotland exited in the group stage following a 3-0 loss to Brazil. Shearer emphasized that Clarke did a great job and warned that a managerial change offers no guarantee of immediate improvement.

Speaking ahead of the UEFA Nations League fixture in Ljubljana, Shearer noted that high fan expectations conflict with declining domestic standards. He stressed the importance of Pocognoli securing a positive result early to win over supporters before upcoming matches against Switzerland and North Macedonia.