Sebastien Pocognoli notices major difference in key Scotland man Ben Gannon-Doak
Winger benefitting from more game-time at Bournemouth
Sebastien Pocognoli is delighted his prediction that Ben Gannon-Doak will enjoy a lot more action for Bournemouth the longer the season goes on has come true in recent weeks.
There were concerns following the last international window that the winger, who started two of Scotland’s four Nations League matches, would suffer from going back into cold storage on the south coast.
However, Pocognoli expressed confidence that manager Marco Rose would utilise the winger more freely given the club’s European commitments.
Gannon-Doak has since featured seven times for Bournemouth, including four starts. He was even named man-of-the-match in the recent 3-0 Europa League win over AC Milan that shocked so many people across Europe. Many had doubted whether he could contribute sustained performances for Scotland while featuring so rarely for Bournemouth.
But Pocognoli, who is hoping to secure his first Hampden victory on Friday night against North Macedonia, is comforted that his forecast that Gannon-Doak would return to England and “smash it” has proved accurate.
“Ben’s intensity is totally different from when he arrived in the camp in La Manga (in September),” he said at Hampden on Tuesday. “You saw his press against AC Milan or in the other Europa League games, it’s totally different fitness now.
“I am very happy with him and I believe that if we are playing good football it doesn’t matter the shape, he’s in the best position. He’s a young lad, twenty-years-old, so he needs confidence and to feel the love.
“He’s a top player and top players want to improve every day. I like his mentality, it’s exciting to see it but what’s the most exciting is that he’s still to improve on many aspects of the game. If he can improve on being more clinical in front of goal he would probably have scored two goals in the last window.”
Pocognoli has noticed the player is happier taking on responsibility and is displaying more composure. He is thinking more about what to do next when he has the ball rather than absent mindedly throwing it into the box.
“His assist and crossing was more with the idea before ‘if I put a cross in Scott McTominay will make a bicycle kick!’” he said. “But you see a little bit more of him now thinking what the next action is when he’s dribbling. When he’s more efficient, I think he will be a different level. But he’s only 20 so it’s (already) quite exciting.”
Although it was a slightly underwhelming first international window for Pocognoli, the Belgian believes players such as Gannon-Doak reaped the benefits from the four games.
Scotland won once against North Macedonia, lost 3-0 to Switzerland and drew and lost against Slovenia.
“I said to the lads when they arrived in September there were a lot of players with a lack of minutes,” he recalled.
“I said that when European football arrives they’ll probably share it out more. I’m sure the last camp allowed a lot of players to go back to their clubs (with a bit of) bounce.
"If you compare it to the first camp, there are maybe only two or three players with us now who have been playing less minutes but the rest have continued (to play more). I think the camp helped them build the confidence and get some minutes.”
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