Sebastien Pocognoli‘s big Hampden bow was wrecked by Switzerland.

It was the Scotland manager’s first home game and it ended in a defeat from a Swiss team that was very much on a roll. It was a sore sight as Ricardo Rodriguez, Nico Elvedi and Zeki Amdouni sunk the Scots in this Nations League clash.

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There was no doubt the turning point was Jack Hendry‘s red card, which forced the Scots to play with 10 men for more than 80 minutes. There were mitigating circumstances for the Belgian.

The true test of how he will be judged comes when his team can play 11 v 11 against the likes of Switzerland. This will go down as a night of learning and another 90 odd minutes into the tank.

It is still Pocognoli‘s first steps and this, in the circumstances, can hardly be deemed as a stumble against a Swiss team of genuine quality. Pocognoli’s team had got an opening point away to Slovenia.

Saturday’s game with North Macedonia will give us more of a gauge of where Pognoli’s side currently are in Group E.

Here are five talking points from Hampden Park.

Binks‘ big moment

Luis Binks earned his Scotland debut. The Brondby skipper was one of several new faces that Pocognoli had brought into his squad for this Nations League quadruple header.

He came in for Stephen Welsh, who had made his own impressive start in Slovenia. Binks had represented England from under-16s to under-19s, although he had also played for Scotland at under-18 level. He was eligible because his grandfather was born in Dunbar.

Pocognoli saw him as a more than worthy addition to his Scotland squad. He started on the left of a three-man defence with Scott McKenna in the middle and Hendry on the right. He looked comfortable on the ball.

Defensively, it was difficult to judge. Binks also showed he had a physicality about him when he had Remo Freuler on the turf at the end of the first-half. It showed he is not afraid to mix it.

VAR did Hendry and Scotland no favours

Scotland were exposed in the eighth minute. A great piece of interlinking play in the Swiss midfield saw Remo Freuler put through the perfect pass to spring the Scotland offside trap. Nydoye had the legs on Hendry, who is no slouch.

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The attacker slowed as he got towards the ball and Hendry put an arm to his shoulder, pulled him back and sent him sprawling. Serbian ref Nenad Minakovic immediately pointed to the spot and booked Hendry.

VAR, as is now the protocol, double-checked the call and after a review then told the official that the initial offence had taken place outside the box.

A free kick was awarded and Hendry’s caution was upgraded to a red. The Al-Ettifaq player could have very little complaint as he trooped prematurely back towards the dressing room.

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Sebastien’s first Scotland setback

Pocognoli immediately told Welsh to warm-up after his team had gone down to 10 men. They hadn’t even had the chance to regroup when Switzerland scored from the free kick that had resulted in Hendry’s marching orders. Ricardo Rodriguez stepped up and gave Angus Gunn no chance, as he stuck it high into his top right-hand corner.

It was first-blood to the Swiss before Welsh had made his entrance. Pocognoli preferred to stick with his three-man defence, sacrificing Kieron Bowie.

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It was a sore one for the Sassuolo striker. It was his first international start and through no fault of his own it had ended prematurely after 12 minutes. He gave a wry smile as he took his seat on the bench. It wasn’t exactly how he would have dreamt of his first start going. Oli McBurnie was then asked to lead the front line alone. It was a bit of a thankless task.

The Swiss were well on a Roll

It was a big enough challenge for Scotland 11 v 11. Going 10 v 11 and having to chase the game was a whole different ball game. This was a team who were 30 places above Scotland in the FIFA rankings. Murat Yakin’s men had also reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, so that showed the quality that the Scots were up against, even without skipper Granit Xhaka and Breel Embolo.

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Pocognoli is famed for his high-pressing game, but it is very difficult to fully implement when you are a man down. The Swiss were also so well-drilled, their movement was top-drawer and at times blue shirts were chasing shadows.

The Swiss dominated the ball and had several shots from distance although they never really threatened in the remainder of the first half. Pocognoli was becoming increasingly frustrated and was shown a yellow card for remonstrating with the official over a decision.

He would have been equally irked by his team’s inability to make much of a dent in the Swiss rearguard. The teams went off to a chorus of boos, but most of them came from the Tartan Army and were aimed at the officials. The second half continued as the first had ended and it was no surprise to see the Swiss double their advantage in the 55th minute.

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Nydone turned creator with a low cross and Elvedi knocked past Gunn from close-range.

Positive changes ended in more of a negative for sorry Scots

The Scotland boss turned to his bench and made a triple change. They all looked positive as he tried to get his team back into this game. Robbie Ure, Ben Gannon-Doak and Ryan Christie came on for McBurnie, Nathan Patterson and Billy Gilmour.

Pocognoli and his team were also chasing their first goal. Yet, it was the Swiss who continued to show their class and they netted the killer third eight minutes from time. It was another well-worked move that ended with Ndoye teeing up Amdouni, who smashed it high past Gunn. It was game over and a night to forget for everyone of a Scotland persuasion.