Scotland: 'Reconnecting' or regressing before Euro 2025 qualifiers?
- Published
Pinatar Cup highlights: Finland defeat Scotland on penalties
There was the failure to qualify for the 2023 World Cup after a surprise home defeat by Republic of Ireland in their play-off final.
Then there was the humiliating 6-0 Hampden humbling by England in the Nations League last year.
Now we have had Erin Cuthbert shouting "that's not the gameplan" towards the management team during a match.
Scotland looked confused and chaotic in their Pinatar Cup final defeat on Tuesday - perhaps the result of convoluted information being conveyed to them as they lost to Finland on penalties?
That is the conclusion the few Scots who made the trip to the south-east coast of Spain would have come to as the Chelsea midfielder barked that remark back to the bench.
Whether or not it was just a case of Cuthbert showing patriotism, is it another indication that something is not quite right with this Scotland side?
A public display from the star player who spearheaded the comeback to draw 1-1 with the Finns being evidence of the frustration on the pitch and in the stands as questions pile up for Pedro Martinez Losa?
Scotland's head coach has conceded "the real pressure football and competitive wise" kicks in now, with Euro 2025 qualifiers on the horizon. Fail to make this major tournament and the criticism will be significant.
A mammoth year awaits the Spaniard, who will not see his players again until April's first qualifier, and he will have had plenty to ponder on the flight back to Scotland.
Starting with, in what direction are they headed?
In the immediate aftermath of the horror show against England, Martinez Losa remained robust in the belief he is the man to lead Scotland back to the big stage.
Earlier this week, winger Lisa Evans said Scotland "needed and deserved" to be in Switzerland for next summer's finals. No nation has that right, certainly not one that has failed to qualify for the last two major tournaments.
However, Martinez Losa is "confident" his side, after a 2-0 semi-final defeat of the Philippines and the draw with Finland, have "reconnected with the winning feeling".
"We needed a little bit of recovery and reconnection from the competitive aspect," he told BBC Scotland. "I think we are totally connected now and believe in what we can do."
Where the 47-year-old saw evidence of this in Murcia is unclear. Indeed, the same remark was made in the England post-mortem, but where is the proof of this progression?
Scotland 'want more after competing well'
Rangers' Chelsea Cornet made her maiden international start, while veteran fellow midfielder Hayley Lauder made the starting line-up for the first time in four years.
Other than that, from a squad that included once-capped Jenny Smith and twice-capped Leah Eddie, there was a lack of invention in his selection.
Even when it became apparent penalties would decide Scotland's fate, Martinez Losa neglected to introduce Lauren Davidson, the Glasgow City winger who had scored a hat-trick from the spot against Hamilton Academical last season.
"Reconnect" has been the word of the camp. Getting back into the swing of winning things.
Yet Scotland have only won one game from their last eight. Hardly the form expected from what Evans regards as "one of the best teams in Europe".
They will need to live up to that billing, though, to negotiate their way through the upcoming qualifiers.
Were outsiders deceived by Scotland's six-game unbeaten run before the Nations League campaign? Did they need to take a step back to move forward again in the last six months?
These questions will continue to be raised in the build-up to the most important period of the Spaniard's tenure.
Martinez Losa was awarded a new contract in September with the remit he would guide Scotland back to the big time. Since then, there has been one victory, against the Philippines.
Scotland will not learn their Euro 2025 qualifying group opponents until the draw on 5 March, but their team boss and his squad have much work to do if they are to negotiate that hurdle whoever they face.