What Scotland’s latest woes reveal amid new manager search | OneFootball

Scotland went down 1-0 to Austria in their opening Women’s Nations League game, yet it’s the dismal standard of football rather than the scoreline which is worrying long-time supporters. After failing to reach a third major tournament in a row, the Scotland Women’s National Team need a rebirth, not a revival.

Scotland fans have suffered since their World Cup debut in 2019. In the years since, the few bright moments are forgotten in a litany of dull match-ups and painful missed chances. While football in England boomed, attendances dwindled north of the border.

Now Scotland are at a crossroads. After three-and-a-half years, the side parted ways with manager Pedro Martínez Losa in December. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) must choose its next steps carefully as it identifies a new manager for Scotland.

Wasted years: The Martínez Losa era

The regression of the Scotland Women’s team under Martínez Losa was three-fold. In the first instance, a reliance on veteran players — often without clear sporting rationale — saw the average age of the squad creep up.

Take the starting line-up in the final play-off game against Finland. The average age was 28, with just five of the starting 11 in their 20s. Yet this was an outlier — 25-year-old Eartha Cumings stepped into goal over Lee Gibson (33). Skipper Rachel Corsie’s (35) absence through injury also brought the average age down.

The result was not a team well-versed in tactical execution or game management. Under Martínez Losa, Scotland have been all too frequently run off the ball. Dire first halves led to more of the same in the second. A lack of innovation, energy, and total inability to change tact mid-game has been the hallmark of his tenure.

Nevertheless, the narrative would be entirely different had Scotland managed to pull a few more wins from their narrow defeats. The root of the problem lies in goalscoring. For too long, Scotland have looked toothless up front. Caroline Weir doesn’t shoot for Scotland. Martha Thomas couldn’t find the form in the navy blue that she enjoyed when she first moved to Spurs. At times throughout the campaign, it seemed that the squad’s best hope for a winner would come from centre-back Sophie Howard.

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Interim manager McArdle rolls the dice

Rarely do interim managers shake things up quite like Michael McArdle. The SFA’s Head of Women’s Elite Football only stepped up to the job in January, but his bold opening selection already turned heads.

McArdle dropped nine from the group who failed to qualify for the 2025 Euros, including long-time veterans Lisa Evans, Emma Mukandi, and Nicola Docherty. Jenna Fife, Kelly Clark, Shannon McGregor, Brogan Hay, Jamie-Lee Napier, and Amy Rodgers were not called up.

They made way for six uncapped players. There were four fresh faces in Celtic defender Emma Lawton, Hibs striker Eilidh Adams, Hearts midfielder Eilidh Shore, and Newcastle forward Freya Gregory. Meanwhile, Hibs goalie Erin Clachers and Rangers striker Mia McAulay were poised to hunt down their first caps this international break.

Veteran players were recalled too. Rangers defender Leah Eddie, SK Brann forward Lauren Davidson, and Glasgow City duo Kirsty Maclean and Amy Muir made their return.

After the opening game, Docherty was called up to replace Muir and McAulay.

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McArdle’s selection gave hope of new life

Against Austria, McArdle gave Muir and Lawton their first competitive starts, with Davidson, Eddie, Adams and Gregory enjoying minutes, too. His squad showed a sharp break from Martínez Losa’s favoritism towards veteran players. There’s a lot to be said for experience. However, the root of so many of Scotland’s problems lay in the reliance on players past their peak. Thus, there is hope to be found in the changing of the guard.

Perhaps more importantly, however, McArdle’s selection is reflective of who he is. A veteran Academy Director, he spent the best part of a decade supporting young talent and building pathways to the professional leagues. His call-ups are rooted in the SWPL. While his predecessor was rarely seen at a Scottish league match, McArdle drew new call-ups from Hibs and Hearts — part-time clubs with full-time ambitions.

If he wants to make the job permanent, McArdle will have to prove himself quickly. Though he served a short stint as Ayr United Assistant Manager, he has no experience at the top of the tree. Yet, with one eye on young talent and the other on fostering a competitive Scottish league, McArdle has some of the characteristics the SFA should value in a manager moving forward.

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Lacklustre performance against Austria highlighted Scotland’s woes

That said, Scotland’s opening Nations League performance against Austria under McArdle was nothing short of woeful. They showcased a chaotic backline and a lack of inspiration in front of goal. Bereft of energy, or indeed tactics at times, the disjointed display was hard to watch.

Any major change in Scotland’s set-up will inevitably come with teething problems. Yet despite a change in personnel, McArdle’s team delivered more of the same. So, what should the SFA be looking for in a new manager for Scotland Women?

What Scotland need in a new manager

Above all else, Scotland need a manager who is willing to build a brand-new vision, not impose one. Martinez Losa’s desire to enact possession-based play was a lame duck from the beginning. Players like Erin Cuthbert, Emma Watson, and Sam Kerr can dictate the success of a game, but only if they’re given the freedom to play their type of football.

Building a squad which, in Cuthbert’s words, plays ‘a bit more Scottish’ is the way forward. Any manager who comes in must have the flexibility to craft a style around star players while also looking to the future and integrating young talent far earlier in their careers. Thus, Scotland need a reinvention with creativity and collaboration at its core. Making the right leadership decision is vital.

However, the SFA are not known for making sound hiring decisions. In 2023, the federation gave Martinez Losa a four-year contract after his side failed to qualify for the World Cup. Just a year and four months later, he was sacked. We can only hope that appropriate learning and far less lenience will be applied to the role going forward.

Scotland can’t afford to waste another five years — this appointment of a new manager could not be more important. Get it right, and the women’s game in Scotland could boom at a rapid pace. Get it wrong, and the gulf between the leading nations and Scotland will quickly become insurmountable.

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