For 45 turgid minutes in Slovenia, some in the Tartan Army might have reimagined the Steve Clarke years as a time of plenty, the halcyon era of ambitious football when Scotland were an all-electric thrill-fest. The opening half of the Sebastien Pocognoli regime was, as expected, disjointed. It was also, rather unexpectedly, devoid of anything remotely related to what Pocognoli laid out as his non-negotiables - front-foot pressing, high intensity, speed of thought and mind, goal threat.
They had no shot on target and lost so many aerial duels that you stopped counting beyond the half-hour mark. They took 38 minutes to touch the ball in Slovenia's penalty area. It wasn't like they were under major pressure - the hosts are a pretty toothless side - but neither were they accurate or energetic.
Everybody who preached patience in the new era gulped hard. We didn't expect champagne, but this was stale beer. And then it changed, not so completely that Scotland roared and won the game, but they certainly cleared their throats as an attacking force.
Gilmour catalyst, impressive Welsh, but same issue for Scotland? Scotland begin Pocognoli era with encouraging Slovenia draw From being impotent, they became thrusting. That second half was as big a 0-0 rout as you're likely to see.
Frustrating, but encouraging at the same time. It will be agonising for Oli McBurnie that he's still without an international goal - he said he wouldn't sleep after failing to convert a one-on-one with Jan Oblak - but his second-half performance was full of good things; efforts on goal, link-up play, presence and danger. Robbie Ure hit a post, Kieron Bowie had a terrific chance, but missed.
The three strikers drew a blank, but as far as 0-0s go, it offered hope that more productive days may lay ahead with these guys. There are two ways of looking at the draw. All 10 starting outfield players had a shot on goal, the first time that's happened since June 2022, against Armenia.
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