Will Vladimir Petkovic make the decision that needs to be made for the sake of his Switzerland team?

After three hours of football against Northern Ireland, Switzerland could still only manage one goal, and that one, Ricardo Rodriguez’s first-leg penalty, was ludicrously unearned. The decision by Ovidiu Hategan to penalise a non-existent handball will go down in the history books of unfair, costly errors, the ultimate proof that at the highest level these things do not even themselves out.

But there is a serious question to ask about Switzerland as they prepare for the World Cup in Russia next year, and the big problem Vladimir Petkovic has to wrestle with: how can a team with good players in so many positions score so few goals?

Switzerland should be one of Europe’s more entertaining sides. They have Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka, Ricardo Rodriguez and Admir Mehmedi among their ranks. This generation of players have grown up together and in international football there are few more valuable resources than that. But to watch them fail to score a legitimate goal in two legs against Northern Ireland, it was clear what their problem was: Haris Seferovic.

The Benfica front man worked hard enough running the channels, without ever really making the space for his more talented team-mates. And when he was through on goal he could not do any damage. Of his best chances, one late in the first half was fired from close range into the side netting, then late in the second half he blazed over from Denis Zakaria’s counter-attack. When he was finally hooked, with three minutes left, for Breel Embolo, he was jeered off by his home fans.

Switzerland coach Petkovic was asked afterwards about the fans’ treatment of Seferovic and realised he had a difficult path to tread. He did not want to hammer the fans on a night as important as this one, but nor did he want to bury a player who he must know is already a problem for his team. So he advised the Swiss supporters to follow the example of Northern Ireland instead.

“It’s a real pity I have to say,” sighed Petkovic when asked about the booing. “We should learn from the Northern Ireland fans. Because even when they are behind in the result, they are supporting the team. It is something we should look up to. I want to see not only the team being compact over 90 minutes. But the fans supporting us too. But I do not want to add fuel to this, or provoke [the situation]. I want to enjoy making it to Russia!”

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The Swiss media this morning has been even more critical of those same home fans in Basel. An editorial in Blick said that the booing was “shameful”, “below the belt” and “completely wrong”. It even told the fans who booed Seferovic not to go to Russia next summer but to “stay at home and take their frustrations out on a punchbag”.

But the problem the Swiss have identified is a real one. And there is a solution on offer, if Petkovic is brave enough to take it. Breel Embolo caused the Northern Ireland defence more problems in the last three minutes than Seferovic did in 87. He put one chance on a plate for Mehmedi, only for the finish to be missing, and then he raced away in behind and forced a save from McGovern.

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Embolo is only 20 years old and is still making his way at Schalke 04, who he joined from Basel for €20m last year only to have his first season ruined by a bad injury. But he causes defences more problems than Seferovic ever will: he is quicker, stronger, sharper and has an off-the-cuff audacity that is exactly what Switzerland need up front.

Petkovic knows that his team has a problem up front and admitted in the aftermath of triumph that these two games had been a reflection of their 12-match qualification campaign, that they were dominant but not clinical enough in front of goal. But he does have an option, with seven months let before the World Cup, dropping Seferovic for Embolo. Will he be brave enough to take it?