The Scotland job in 2026 looks a lot different from the one Clarke took on in 2019.
Two months prior to Clarke’s appointment, the national team had been humiliated in Kazakhstan. They had not featured at a major finals in two decades.
Seven years on, Scotland have been at back-to-back European Championships and a World Cup. Clarke qualified for three of four tournaments on his watch.
Pocognoli will be expected to, at least, maintain that success. However, the reason Clarke’s exit felt natural for many is that a hefty chunk of fans want to see a change of approach.
Craig Mulholland, the Scottish FA’s chief football officer, said Pocognoli “will bring an aggressive, front-foot style of play that will excite supporters”, adding that Scotland are aiming to “evolve from a position of strength”.
The Belgian has described his brand of football as “a dominant one, with and without the ball”. He also wants his team to be intense pressers but have “real mastery in possession”.
International coaches are not afforded the same amount of time on the training pitch as club managers, so patience could be required if the plan is to move to a more possession-based style.
Pocognoli’s prior experience of working as a youth coach at international level with Belgium would have ticked another box for the SFA. He also coached in the academies of USG and Genk.
During his playing career, he featured at almost every youth level for his nation before winning 13 caps for a Belgium side that featured a long list of world-class talents for well over a decade.
Scotland have had their own mini golden generation, with captain Andy Robertson, John McGinn, Scott McTominay and others all continuing to play at Europe’s top level.
Clarke was emphatic in his exit interview with the SFA, saying the core he developed over his seven-year spell is “not finished yet”.
Many of Scotland’s World Cup squad, which was one of the oldest at the tournament, will go again for a Euros they are co-hosting in two years, but Pocognoli will be tasked with hitting the refresh button.
Much has been made of a potential crisis within youth development in Scottish football, which raises concerns about the future of the national team.
For now, Ben Gannon-Doak, 20, has become a Scotland regular over the past couple of years, while Findlay Curtis, 19, made two late cameos at the World Cup.
Tyler Fletcher was taken to the United States but did not feature. It remains to be seen whether his status will rise under Pocognoli, or if fellow teenage midfielder Lennon Miller will be brought back into the fold.
Kieron Bowie, 23, also missed the World Cup cut, but the striker will be playing in Serie A next season, like Miller.
Fans will expect to see striker Robbie Ure after a free-scoring spell with Sirius in Sweden resulted in a move to La Liga side Sevilla earlier this month.
The 22-year-old has fuelled the Tartan Army with hope that he can provide cutting edge at the top end of the pitch, something they have craved for some time.
