What did we learn from Andreatta's first game as Scotland head coach?

BBC News

4 days ago

"I think I have a good baseline now to understand where we're at."The first words Melissa Andreatta uttered in the aftermath of her Scotland debut, which not only ended in defeat, but with relegation to Nations League B.When asked whether that baseline was higher or lower than she expected, the Australian replied: "I'm not sure, if I'm honest."In the first half, it had to be lower.The Scots were second best to Austria, who left Hampden with all three deserved points thanks to Julia Hickelsberger's front-post flick just after the hour mark.Up until that point, and for 10 minutes after, Manuela Zinsberger in the Austria goal was merely a spectator, sunbathing in the Hampden glow.A flurry a changes brought about some fight and finesse, but as Scotland shot-stopper and player of the match Lee Gibson said post-match it was, again, "too little, too late".This was never going to be a quick fix, an overnight job, an immediate turnaround. This transition will take time.But, what can we take from Andreatta's first game in charge?
Scotland's scars run deep
Andreatta's introduction has somewhat masked a grim few months for the Scots. Since their Euro 2025 play-off heartbreak in Helsinki last year, they half lost their first four games of the current year, conceding 13 goals in the process. Six of those in Wolfsburg against Germany. Five in a 15-minute spell.The former Matildas assistant was announced the morning after the scudding and since then, alongside captain Rachel Corsie's impending retirement, has dominated the discourse.While the fallout from that night at the Volkswagen Arena was tame, the impact it has on the group was fierce.Touches were heavy. Passes were poor. The opposition box was treated as a pool of lava. There was no flow, only fear.Former Scotland midfielder Leanne Crichton described their play as "fragmented", while Andreatta said there was "a bit of a hangover" from their previous four pointless Group A1 games.That's now seven games without a win, with one final trip to the 10th-ranked team in the world - the Netherlands - to come on Tuesday before a four-month break.It's a long old summer to mull over, potentially, eight games and 11 months without a win, but the head coach insists the "belief" is there."When you're coming off the run that they've had, confidence often comes with results, but the belief is still there and it's just going to be a lot of hard work," she said.
The kids are alright
On a night where so much spotlight was directed to departing, veteran defender Rachel Corsie, the next generation stood tall.The 35-year-old was the first of five second-half substitutions, and while the wise old head stabilised a rocky ship, the young ones who followed drove it on.Debutant Mia McAulay - who opened the scoring at Hampden in Sunday's Scottish Cup final - injected the width, creativity and spark the Scots were craving.She came on alongside Martha Thomas, who replaced a second debutant in Hibernian's Kathleen McGovern, who Andreatta said "held her own".The 22-year-old, who enjoyed an incredible personal season with the SWPL champions, did a power of running on her first appearance where she was starved of service, while Emma Watson, 19, came off the bench to offer authority and calmness."Being so young, that's the promising and positive thing - their willingness to take on the information and execute their player tasks for the team," the head coach added. "I think based on what I saw, there's a lot to look forward to."
Andreatta is all in
When Andreatta said that there was plenty to look forward to, she did so with a genuine smile spread across her face.In the four weeks she's been on these shores, she's immersed herself in the culture, cuisine and her coaching.The Australian took in her fair share of SWPL games as the season drew to a close, while she also had a keen eye on last week's Scottish Cup final. In between times, the occasional Irn-Bru and Cullen skink have been devoured.Trivial these things may seem, it's a commitment and care for the country, and role, that hasn't always been there.The 46-year-old knew she was taking on a sizeable task but she's keen to show she hasn't bitten off more than one can chew.When asked what she learned from her first outing in the hot seat, she said: "I've learnt that I really believe in this group and what it's going to take to help this team realise their potential and go to another level. "I think that's the key thing, that belief isn't down or shaken by the result at all."I'm even more passionate about supporting this team to realise their goals."