SCOTLAND FANS DEMAND PLAYER NEVER PLAYS FOR SCOTLAND AGAIN AFTER DEFEAT TO SLOVENIA, THEY’RE ‘DESTROYING’ HIM ONLINE

Scotland fans have been left furious after Tuesday night’s defeat to Slovenia, with one player emerging as the unexpected target of a brutal wave of criticism online.

 

Sébastien Pocognoli’s side suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat at Hampden Park after throwing away a first-half lead, leaving supporters stunned by another collapse on home soil.

 

Ryan Christie had given Scotland the perfect start when he reacted quickest to put the hosts ahead, and for a while it looked as though Pocognoli’s men were heading towards another positive result.

 

Instead, everything unravelled after the break.

 

Slovenia found an equaliser before completing the comeback with a second goal, leaving Scotland unable to respond as the atmosphere inside Hampden quickly turned toxic.

 

By the final whistle, frustration had spilled over onto social media.

 

Supporters were not simply questioning the manager’s tactics or the team’s overall performance.

 

One Scotland player in particular was being singled out.

 

Fans began demanding that Pocognoli drop him, with some going even further and insisting that they never want to see him play for Scotland again.

 

And the criticism became particularly fierce because this was not the first time he had found himself at the centre of attention during the international break.

 

The player had already endured a difficult night during Scotland’s heavy defeat to Switzerland, meaning Tuesday’s performance provided another opportunity for supporters to question whether he should remain Pocognoli’s first choice.

 

There was also a particularly worrying moment during the second half that immediately set social media alight.

 

After Slovenia’s equaliser, clips of the incident began circulating online, with supporters dissecting the player’s involvement and questioning whether he should have done better.

 

The reaction was brutal.

 

One fan described the performance as “so fucking bad”, while others called for a change before Scotland’s next competitive fixture.

 

And eventually, the identity of the player at the centre of the storm became impossible to ignore.

 

The man taking the majority of the criticism was goalkeeper Angus Gunn.

 

SCOTLAND’S COLLAPSE

 

Scotland had started the match positively and eventually found the breakthrough in the 31st minute.

 

Ben Gannon-Doak’s deflected cross created the opening, with Jack Hendry’s header hitting the post before Christie reacted quickest to turn the ball home.

 

For a brief period, it looked as though Pocognoli’s team were going to give the home supporters exactly what they wanted.

 

But Slovenia had already shown warning signs.

 

Andy Robertson produced an important goal-saving intervention before half-time, denying Zan Vipotnik after Danijel Sturm had caused problems for Scotland’s defensive structure.

 

The warning signs were there.

 

And after the interval, Scotland fell apart.

 

Slovenia equalised in the 56th minute after Scotland cheaply surrendered possession from a throw-in.

 

Sturm drove forward before finding Aljoša Matko, who managed to get past Luis Binks and fire towards goal.

 

Gunn got a hand to the effort but was unable to keep it out.

 

That moment immediately sparked criticism online.

 

It was not long before Scotland were behind.

 

Matko became the creator this time, racing down the right before crossing for Sturm, who arrived in the box and smashed the ball beyond Gunn.

 

The goalkeeper had little chance with the second goal, but by that stage Scotland’s defensive organisation had completely unravelled.

 

FANS HAVE HAD ENOUGH

 

The reaction from Scotland supporters online was brutal.

 

Gunn had already faced questions following the 3-0 defeat to Switzerland, when he was criticised for conceding Zeki Amdouni’s third goal.

 

Pocognoli had previously backed his goalkeeper, but Tuesday’s defeat has reopened the debate over whether Scotland need a change between the posts.

 

Some supporters went as far as suggesting that they do not want to see Gunn wearing the Scotland shirt again.

 

Others demanded that Pocognoli immediately look for an alternative.

 

The frustration is understandable from a fanbase that has watched Scotland struggle for consistency during the early stages of the new manager’s reign.

 

The criticism of Gunn has also been amplified by the fact that he has now found himself involved in several controversial moments during the international break.

 

However, not everyone believes the goalkeeper deserves all of the blame.

 

THE NUMBERS DON’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY

 

Interestingly, Gunn’s overall performances make the criticism more complicated.

 

His earlier display against Slovenia had actually been viewed positively, with the goalkeeper making several saves as Scotland secured a goalless draw.

 

Scotland had dominated large periods of that match and restricted Slovenia to very few opportunities.

 

That performance was a reminder that Gunn is capable of producing strong displays for his country.

 

But football is often decided by moments.

 

And his critics believe he has now had too many high-profile moments going against him.

 

His performance against Switzerland was also heavily scrutinised after Scotland conceded three times.

 

That means the latest defeat has quickly turned into a wider debate over whether Pocognoli should continue trusting him.

 

GUNN WASN’T SCOTLAND’S ONLY PROBLEM

 

For all the criticism aimed at Gunn, it would be unfair to suggest that Scotland lost solely because of their goalkeeper.

 

They were comprehensively outplayed for large portions of the second half.

 

Scotland’s defensive structure collapsed after Slovenia equalised, while the midfield struggled to regain control of the game.

 

Luis Binks was beaten by Matko in the build-up to the equaliser, while Sturm repeatedly found space between Scotland’s defensive lines.

 

Going forward, Scotland also failed to create enough pressure after Christie had given them the lead.

 

Oli McBurnie was substituted after 70 minutes without scoring, while Scotland struggled to find a way back into the game.

 

Josh McPake provided more energy after coming on, while Findlay Curtis was also introduced as Pocognoli searched for a response.

 

But Scotland could not find another goal.

 

Instead, the home supporters were left watching Slovenia celebrate a comeback victory at Hampden.

 

ROBERTSON ONE OF THE FEW POSITIVES

 

Amid the chaos, Andy Robertson once again demonstrated why he remains such an important figure for Scotland.

 

The Liverpool captain had been honoured before kick-off for reaching 100 international appearances and then produced one of Scotland’s most important moments during the game with his first-half goal-saving intervention.

 

Ryan Christie also deserves credit for putting Scotland ahead with a clever finish.

 

Gannon-Doak showed flashes of danger, while the substitutes provided some much-needed energy late in the match.

 

But ultimately, Scotland’s overall performance was nowhere near good enough.

 

POCOGNOLI NOW FACES A BIG TEST

 

The defeat puts Pocognoli under pressure despite the fact that he is still in the early stages of his Scotland reign.

 

There have been encouraging moments under the Belgian, but there have also been performances that have raised serious questions.

 

The biggest concern is the inconsistency.

 

Scotland have shown they can compete, but they have also shown a worrying tendency to collapse when matches turn against them.

 

That was exactly what happened against Slovenia.

 

Pocognoli wants Scotland to play a more aggressive and modern style of football, but that requires his players to execute their defensive responsibilities consistently.

 

Against Slovenia, they simply did not.

 

THE SCOTLAND FAN VERDICT

 

And that is why Gunn has become one of the easiest targets for supporters.

 

They have seen Scotland concede three against Switzerland, surrender a lead against Slovenia and struggle to impose themselves at Hampden.

 

Gunn’s critics believe he has now been given enough opportunities.

 

Others, however, have pointed out that Scotland’s problems go far beyond the man between the posts.

 

The online debate is therefore unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

 

One thing is certain: Gunn will be under enormous pressure the next time Pocognoli names his Scotland XI.

 

The manager has backed him before.

 

Whether he continues to do so after this latest defeat could become one of the biggest selection decisions of his Scotland reign.

 

For now, the Tartan Army are furious.

 

And after another painful night at Hampden, some Scotland supporters have made their feelings perfectly clear.

 

They believe it is time for Gunn to be dropped.

 

Some are demanding much more than that.

 

They want him out of the Scotland team altogether.

 

Whether Pocognoli listens to them could become one of the biggest talking points before Scotland’s next international.