For Sebastien Pocognoli, Friday against North Macedonia is a third opportunity to replace the Hampden Bore with something akin to a Hampden Roar.

Two home games so far under the new head coach and two defeats; five goals conceded, one scored.

The loss to a superior Switzerland was written off because of an early red card for Jack Hendry. The loss to Slovenia had no such mitigation.

Scotland were creatively bereft, physically weak and tactically confused. Captain Andy Robertson said that his team had been out-played and out-fought.

For his own credibility, Pocognoli needs a big night. "Criticism is part of the business as a coach," he says. "It's just about rebounding." This is a huge chance to rebound.

Scotland beat North Macedonia 2-0 in Skopje in his third game in charge. They were without Scott McTominay, Kieran Tierney and Che Adams back then, but they're all in harness now. No excuses, in other words.

Pocognoli insists he learned a few things from that Slovenia game, saying: "We were not intense. We were not aggressive - and this is the one non-negotiable topic with me. We didn't deserve more in that game."

Are Scotland in better shape now?

Theoretically, Scotland are in better shape now than they were in the last four-game camp.

McTominay is back from his startling heart issues and is scoring again for Napoli. Tierney is one of only a few bright sparks at Celtic. Adams has scored two goals in five games in Italy since he missed the last international window.

There is other encouraging news. Scott Bain's shot-stopping form has to make him a major contender to usurp Angus Gunn in goal. San Jose Earthquakes have conceded eight goals in their last three games. Gunn was badly at fault for one and wasn't too clever for another. Bain has been making the kind of saves that look beyond Gunn.

Luke Graham continues to thrive at centre-back for Stoke City in the English Championship and must be a big option to start. Aaron Hickey has played more football since Slovenia than he did before it.

The same can be said of Ben Gannon-Doak. Before the last camp he had played six times for Bournemouth with an average of 18 minutes per game. Since then, he's played seven with an average of 53 minutes.

He was the man-of-the-match in a 3-0 win against AC Milan. Gannon-Doak must be in a much better place now, physically and mentally.

His club-mate, Ryan Christie, is in a very similar boat. He was more of a substitute than a starter for Bournemouth ahead of the last international break. Lately, he's been one of their go-to guys.

Christie has won eight games in a row with his club and he started in six of those. His confidence must be soaring.

Kieron Bowie is having a difficult time at Sassuolo and Robbie Ure is in-and-out of the Sevilla team, but he scored twice for them last month. Oli McBurnie's painful wait for a Scotland goal carries on, but he has two in his last three for Hull in the Premier League.

Pocognoli says he has no fixed system, no slavish adherence to his favoured back three. It does sound like he's sticking with it for North Macedonia, though.

"I try to find the best shape to make the players shine on the pitch," he says. "After that, it's up to them to show it. But I always try to adapt to my team. I think the shape that we play is the best shape to fit the best quality of the team.

"At Union Saint-Gilloise, when we became champions, we played three at the back because that was the system of the club.

"Sometimes I felt like, if we try a back four, maybe we can have more power in the game, but I didn't do it because the club was building. In Monaco when I make the analysis of the squad, the best shape was a back three, but sometimes we played with a back four.

"It depends on the players' abilities. I believe for this team, right now, it's one of the best shapes. It's a brave style of play that demands a lot of energy. But it's a process. You need to analyse what is good for the future."

McTominay return 'massive' for Scotland

Pocognoli feels his team lacked some freshness in the defeat by Slovenia and appears to have some regrets about that, adding: "Maybe we should have rotated a little bit more in the game. That's maybe something that we can reflect on."

What's the big message of the camp so far?

"Continuity and improvement," is the reply. "The main message to the players is try to impress me, try to show that you want to produce something special next season [for the Euros campaign]."

McTominay's presence can only add to Scotland's potential goal threat.

On Tuesday, the Napoli midfielder spoke about his heart issues at the World Cup and his cardiac ablation operation in September.

The fact that he has scored five goals in his past six games for Napoli is testament to not just his ability but his mental and physical strength and his huge desire to kick-on. Pocognoli is thrilled to have him.

"He brings experience," he says. "He's a leader. The age average is quite low in the squad, so it's a massive impact for us to have him back - a player who can pass the message to the young generation and show them direction."

On Friday, that direction needs to be forward with accuracy, speed, aggression and goals.

Whatever formation is deployed against North Macedonia - four defeats out of four with no goals scored and 10 conceded - it needs to deliver an emphatic home win at the third time of asking.