Scottish Women's Football

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland in Tilburg

Image source, SNS

For a wee while there, I thought I was going to have to look out a pair of boots...

But the panic is over, Scotland have - eventually - made it to Tilburg.

It's so far from ideal for Melissa Andreatta, on her first away day with the Scots, and for the players.

And for captain Rachel Corsie, who will retire tonight. What a way to go out...

The squad had a morning training session at Oriam yesterday, before gearing up for their scheduled flight in the afternoon. Then it was delay after delay after delay.

A late night was had as plans were hastily put in place for this morning's take-off.

And after a long couple of days comes a gruelling meeting with the Netherlands.

Andries Jonker's side were surprisingly scudded by Germany on Friday, so could be in frightening mood.

Here's hoping the Scots are awake and alert, or it could be an even longer night.

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Leanne Crichton believes Scotland's "bleak" Nations League campaign can't end quickly enough, while fellow former international Joelle Murray has called for a reset of expectations amid the national team's "very underwhelming" form.

Scotland were relegated from the top tier of the Nations League last week as Melissa Andreatta's tenure as head coach began with a 1-0 home loss to Austria.

Andreatta's side play their final fixture away to the Netherlands tonight - live on BBC Scotland - seeking a first point after five successive defeats.

"It's been a real poor run of form for Scotland in terms of the results, even going back beyond this Nations League campaign," ex-midfielder Crichton told BBC Scotland.

"As bleak as this Nations League campaign has felt, we understand the magnitude of the challenge going up against real top sides in the Netherlands and Germany.

"The disappointment lies with the two Austria games, which when anybody looked at the draw would have been the two games that you earmarked as your potential three points and looked to maximise that opportunity.

"The fact we've lost on both occasions just leaves the nation feeling deflated.

"We've gone from qualifying for two back-to-back major tournaments [Euro 2017 and 2019 World Cup] and we've fallen off the edge of a cliff because we've not capitalised on that.

"We find ourselves now a huge transitional period."

Former defender Joelle Murray echoed those sentiments, telling the BBC's Scottish Football podcast: "There's no hiding from it, it's been a very underwhelming, frustrating, disappointing campaign for the national team.

"It's maybe one of those ones where we may need to reset our expectations. What we've been experiencing, is that now our reality?

"Do we need to reset, refocus and get back on a journey that gets us back to where we were in 2017 and 2019?"

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Melissa Andreatta is determined to see the positives from Scotland's defeat by Austria as her side prepare for "a massive test" against the Netherlands.

The Scots head into their final Nations League Group A1 game against the Dutch having already been relegated following Friday's loss at Hampden.

The Netherlands are ranked 10th in the world and are looking to bounce back from their own defeat in Germany - a result that means they are now unable to overtake the group leaders.

Scotland have lost all five of their games so far in the Nations League top flight, with second-half goals from Lineth Beerensteyn and Chasity Grant giving the Dutch a deserved win at Hampden in February despite the hosts leading through Emma Lawton.

That game was under caretaker Michael McArdle after Pedro Martinez Losa was sacked following the failure to reach this summer's Euro 2025 finals - and Andreatta believes she has already seen areas where her squad can improve.

"It's just identifying the moments when we want to press or protect, or progress the ball and penetrate," the Australian said.

"There's going to be moments in the match where it doesn't go right, but that's where we are right now.

"We took a lot of learnings from [Friday] and now what we want to do is close this campaign and then, after that, look ahead to a new start in our next camp."

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

On Tuesday night Scotland will face a Netherlands team - live on BBC Scotland - which is wounded, both in a physical and emotional sense before their final Nations League match in Tilburg.

Missing some of their key stars, the Dutch were walloped 4-0 by Germany in their penultimate game, which set off alarm bells back home as they prepare to play in the Euro 2025 group of death this summer alongside England, France and Wales.

First-choice goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar was missing with injury, as well as attacking totems Lineth Beerensteyn and top scorer Vivianne Miedema.

The latter will definitely not return to face Scotland, while Beerensteyn missing out would be music to Scotland's ears given she has scored three goals across the last two meetings.

Arsenal's Victoria Pelova and key midfielder Danielle van de Donk were not fit enough to start in Bremen either.

That meant a switch to a back-three formation, which seemed to bring confusion rather than stability as Germany ran riot, scoring three in the first half.

Manager Andries Jonker, whose contract is not being renewed after the Euros this summer, said too many players were below par as questions surround his side.

So can Scotland capitalise? Well, they will need to be far better than they were for the first 70 minutes against Austria in Melissa Andreatta's first game.

In the reverse fixture, Emma Lawton's first international goal gave Scotland the lead before the Dutch turned things around in the second half to win 2-1.

But in truth, the gap between the two teams at Hampden in February was much more than one goal as the Netherlands squandered numerous chances.

The expectation on Scotland, already relegated and on the back of six straight defeats, could hardly be lower. That tends to be how they like it, though.

A victory against even this version of the Dutch seems unlikely, but if Andreatta could grab a result it would jolt her tenure to life ahead of another summer when Scotland watch on from a distance as others enjoy a major tournament party.

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park

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"You don't ever want to keep coming out and saying, we've done really well, we've tried hard, but we're fallen short again.

"That's just the reality of where we're at, at the moment."

For someone who made save after save on Friday night, Lee Gibson pulled no punches in the post-match press conference.

The Scotland shotstopper kept her country in their penultimate Nations League A match against Austria, but she was left helpless when a front-post flick from Julia Hickelsberger broke the deadlock.

That sole goal, in Melissa Andreatta's first game in the Scotland dugout, confirmed relegation to League B, too.

It was an all too familiar story for the Scots who suffered a six successive defeat, and Gibson has grown tired of the tale.

"It's took us 60 minutes to actually properly open up Austria, that's the disappointing thing." the Glasgow City goalkeeper said.

"You just want that to happen a little bit earlier. That's up to us as players to recognise that and change things in the game, but it was too little, too late unfortunately.

"That's probably the same thing that we've been saying over the last year or so in these games when we play against top opponents, that we've not been able to be consistent enough.

"It's frustrating. You don't ever want to keep coming out and saying, we've done really well, we've tried hard, but we're fallen short again.

"That's just the reality of where we're at, at the moment.

"I think other teams have improved and they've raised their levels. We maybe haven't made those strides forward that we wanted to or we feel we deserve.

"But as players and coaching staff and everybody behind the scenes, it's up to us to be able to try and change that.

"That's hopefully something that under Mel we can take strides in doing."

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Shannon Leishman will leave SWPL champions Hibs after over a decade with the Leith club.

The defender only made two starts this campaign before joining Motherwell on loan in January, helping cement their historic top-six finish.

Leishman made her debut back in 2014, aged just 16, and went on to make over 150 appearances for her childhood club, winning four domestic Cups in the process.

She follows fellow Hibs' stalwart Leah Tweedie out the door after her departure was announced earlier in the week.

On Leishman's exit, head coach Grant Scott said: "Shannon has been a dedicated servant to Hibernian over the past 11 years.

"Coming through our Academy, Shannon has from a young age always set an example for others to follow and her commitment to being the ultimate professional has helped us to many successes over the years.

"More than all of that, she's a great person whose presence will be missed. We thank her for her contributions and wish her all the best for the future."

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Rachel Corsie has played her final home game as Scotland Women captain and former team-mate Leanne Crichton reckons very few can emulate the important leadership role the retiring captain has played.

The exiting Aston Villa centre-half, who has 155 international caps and played at Euro 2017 and the 2019 World Cup, said earlier this week that it "feels like the right moment" to give up playing after nearly a year out through injury.

"There are very few that will lead the way Rachel Corsie has led and that's a sad reality," former international midfielder Crichton told BBC Scotland.

"There's only been two or three maximum in my entire career that have had the fortune to play alongside and experience that and understand the demands and the expectations and how they perform off the pitch as well as on it - and she's been impeccable.

"She is an absolute stalwart and I can tell you right now that the national team would not be where it is in terms of the experiences and moments and the success that we've had over the last two decades had it not been for somebody like Rachel Corsie."

Crichton also hopes Corsie is able to stay involved with football, if she wishes to.

"I would love to see her remain in the game in some capacity, just because I know how much value there is in having somebody like her around," she added.

"But, again, that's over to the SFA, that's over to the national team, or it's over to, you know, previous clubs that perhaps she's played at that understand the wealth and value that there would be in keeping her around.

"So, I mean, the future, regardless of what it is, it's absolutely bright."

Scotland fans, were you at Hampden on Friday night or following the action from home? Either way we want your views on the performance.

What did you make of Melissa Andreatta's first game in charge? How are you feeling about the future under the new boss? How big a miss will Rachel Corsie be when she hangs up her boots?

Have your say on Andreatta's first game in charge

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Scotland boss Melissa Andreatta: "There's one thing to be training and doing what we're doing, players executing what we're asking of them in a training session and it's another thing to do it in a match, particularly one with that context behind it.

"I think I have a good baseline now to understand where we're at and some areas to work on to get where we want to be.

"We were the better team in many moments in that second half but we all know in international football you have to be doing that consistently. That's what it takes in tournament football to go deep and that's what we want this team to be.

"I really believe in this group and what's it's going to take now is a lot of work to continue to find the areas I can help this team to realise their potential and go to another level. The belief isn't down, I'm not shaken by the result, I'm even more passionate about supporting this team to realise their goals.

"In the second half I saw more of that ability to break lines, get into good areas in the final third and create chances. That's the positive part and that's something we want to keep building on.

"Me as a person, the past is the past now and I'll always look forward, take those learnings and think what we can do next.

"That's what I've learned about this group, something we both share is this deep commitment to being the best we can and willing to do whatever it takes to do that. The belief is still there, it's just going to be a lot of hard work."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Since the appointment last month, the Melissa Andreatta era has brought about enthusiasm, freshness and hope.

After only a matter of days, it is unfair to expect such attributes would be showcased in abundance, but the feeling at half-time was all too familiar.

The Scots were so far off the pace it was startling. With sarcasm in the stands mounting, questions were being asked… Is Pedro Martinez Losa still here at Hampden?

There was no urgency, no impetus and no imagination. Lauren Davidson and Freya Gregory struggled to have an impact out wide, while Hibernian striker Kathleen McGovern was only able to put in a power of running and take in the occasional long ball.

It was the latter pair's first international starts, while Brann's Lauren Davidson was never in-favour of Martinez Losa, but their inexperience was telling against a well-gelled Austrian outfit.

There was a marked, and much-needed, improvement when Andreatta called on the cavalry. Kirsty Howat, debutant Mia McAulay, Martha Thomas and Emma Watson all brought about the buzz that was hoped for on the opening whistle.

Meanwhile, Rachel Corsie, on the centre-half's final Hampden appearance before retiring, showed why she bows out as one of the best.

There was a new-found calmness in the backline when the captain came on at half-time, while her leadership was telling.

That is what Scotland will miss most in this new area. Corsie has an ability like no other in the squad to lift, galvanise and encourage this young group.

In the past few days, she has spoken of her desire to retire at the top. If that is to be her last Scotland outing, on her 155th appearance, she has done just that.

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Scotland have to be "hungry" in tonight's Nations League game against Austria, says former goalkeeper Gemma Fay.

It's a new dawn for the SWNT with new boss Melissa Andreatta taking charge of her first game as they search for their first points of this Nations League A campaign.

The Scots have lost all four of their Nations League games so far, most recently suffering hefty, back-to-back defeats to Germany.

Former Scotland keeper Fay is hopeful of seeing an improved Scotland at Hampden tonight.

"We're going to be hungry, we're going to be at them," Fay told the BBC's Scottish Football podcast.

"And that's what I hope we see tonight is an aggressive Scotland, because that's one of our real strengths - being aggressive out of possession, winning the ball back and then using our quality on the counter.

"That was always kind of what we did when we had Kim Little and Julie Fleeting and I'm not harping back to the days of old. I'm just saying that was a recipe for success.

"And we still have those types of players. We have Erin Cuthbert, Kerr and Weir. We have Martha Thomas up front. We've got some exciting young talent, players like Kathleen McGovern working her way in, who thrives on counter-attacking football."

McGovern joined Hibs from Edinburgh rivals Hearts last summer and was an important part of the squad that lifted their first SWPL title in 18 years.

"McGovern's been at a breath of fresh air this season," Hibs assistant, and former player, Joelle Murray told the Scottish Football podcast.

"She's had an unbelievable season. She's someone who, off the pitch, can galvanise the team. She's very central and she's a core member of the team. She'll pick you up if you're down.

"So from that side of things, an unbelievable person. But as soon as she steps on onto the pitch, it's very much business. It's go time. And I love that about her.

"For someone so young, she's so mature. She got 25 goals across the season. And I'd like to think if she gets a chance tonight she'll take it because she's extremely clinical in those situations."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotland defender Emma Lawton insists it feels like a "fresh start" under new head coach Melissa Andreatta and says everything is geared towards qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

The national side must defeat Austria at Hampden by two clear goals on Friday and hope results go their way when they face the Netherlands next week if they are to retain hope of remaining in Nations League Group A.

After missing out on this year's European Championship, Lawton is clear the main prize is qualifying for the next major competition.

"It's kind of a reset for us," she said.

"Our focus now is qualifying for the World Cup. This is the kind of start of it, these two games.

"We're trying to stay in League A, which is a big goal for us, so hopefully we can put out performances that will let us do that."

With captain Rachel Corsie retiring after this double-header, Lawton was keen to pay tribute to her influence.

"I think she's been huge for Scotland for a number of years now," the PFA Player of the Year explained.

"She's a great leader. She's our captain. I think this is the first time I've ever had the chance to kind of properly meet and play with her.

I'm loving doing that on the training pitch, trying to learn as much as I can.

She'll be a big miss for us, but we've got some other great leaders within there that will help us move forward."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

New Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta has been talking with the media before her first game in charge, the Nations League A visit of Austria to Hampden on Friday.

Here are the key points:

• On captain Rachel Corsie, who retires after the double-header against Austria and the Netherlands: "What a legend! It's been super humbling to to work with her and the professionalism of Rachel is what's really stood out and her willingness to share her experiences with both players and staff."

• Andreatta adds: "All she's focused on is her role and what the team needs to do to play the way we want to."

• The Scotland boss believes the loss of Corsie's leadership going forward will tell but says the transition has been "occurring naturally" in her absence: "People have had to step up and there's actually been a lot of support around the leadership group to do that. In their own right they're leaders at club. So they've had a lot of opportunity to lead both at club and country."

• The former Australia assistant insists Scotland can stay in the Nations League top tier despite a poor run of results.

• She adds: "I only see opportunity and yes, there's going to be tough times and there's a lot of progress to be made, but we believe we have what it takes and we're going to fight."

• Andreatta admits it's natural that confidence may have dipped given recent results but the players "believe they can do something and it's just putting all the pieces together in order for us to match that belief with the performance and the results".

Image source, Hibernian FC

Lia Tweedie will be a "big loss", says Hibs head coach Grant Scott, after the SWPL champions confirmed the striker will depart this summer.

The 27-year-old has scored 47 goals in 124 appearances across two spells at the club.

Tweedie made her farewell appearance in injury time of the title-winning victory over Rangers and has also won two Scottish Cups and four League Cups with Hibs.

"I want to thank Lia for her outstanding contribution to Hibernian. She is a great person who has deservedly picked up plenty of winners' medals with the club," said Scott.

"From coming through the Hibs academy to performing on the European stage and winning silverware, Lia has always remained a fantastic servant to this club and will be a big loss to the group – both on and off the pitch."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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"Two wins."

Rachel Corsie isn't asking for much from her final week of football.

The Scotland captain will retire once Nations League matches against Austria and Netherlands are out the way, and in the spirit of "slowing the week down", Corsie's full focus is on the games at hand.

A win by two clear goals on Friday against Austria at Hampden, who beat the Scots 1-0 on matchday one, would give Melissa Andreatta's side a chance to preserve their League A status, should the Austrians subsequently lose to Germany.

It's all the motivation the retiring 35-year-old needs.

"Two results that keep us in Group A, I think that's the collective ambition," the defender said.

"Selfishly, my own ambition and motivation is to be here and give everything on the pitch, off the pitch, at every opportunity because I think the result on Friday is one we can get that puts us in a good position where we can be on the front foot.

"We can be in control and then we lead ourselves into Tuesday which, if we get a good result on Friday, becomes a game where you relish that a little bit more."

As if the former Glasgow City centre-back needs any greater incentive to enjoy this week, though.

"I'm trying to slow down the days. I'm like we're already at Tuesday lunchtime," she added.

"Everyone says it hits you after, so I'm sort of braced for that but I'm just trying to be here and make it as normal as possible.

"You have to know that it can't last forever. I'd love it if it could but it can't and now's the right time."