New Scotland manager Melissa Andreatta acknowledges…

New Scotland manager Melissa Andreatta acknowledges fan frustration after debut loss

NEW Scotland women’s team manager Melissa Andreatta has insisted she has a better understanding of the capabilities of her new side in the wake of a narrow defeat to Austria at Hampden last night.

Andreatta, the former Australia assistant who succeeded Pedro Lopez last month, was helpless to prevent Scotland from losing their penultimate Nations League Group A1 match and being relegated.

However, the 46-year-old, whose team will now take on the Netherlands in Tilburg on Tuesday evening, stressed that she learned a lot from the outing and will be able to build on the performance.

"What I've taken is a baseline,” she said. "There's one thing to be training and doing what we're doing and players executing what we're asking of them in a training session, and it's another to do it in a match and in a match with that context behind it.

"So I think I have a good baseline now to understand where we're at, and some areas of work in order for us to progress to where we want to be.”

Andreatta added, "I think you could tell by the fans, there was a frustration, but I think the key part that I take from that is that we had players that took on the information at half-time and made some adjustments to what we were doing and trying to do, and they did that well.

(Image: PA Wire) "And then, together with the subs, who were a combination of experienced players and emerging players, they brought on the energy and had a real impact. So while it was frustrating not to get some reward from, that impact and those changes, I know where we are now, and it's given me some ideas, moving forward.”

Scotland captain Rachel Corsie, who this week announced she will retire from international football following the meeting with the Netherlands, came on in the second half of the match to win her 155th cap for her country.

Andreatta is confident the Aston Villa player will be fully focused on the team performance in midweek.

“I'm sure there would have been a lot of emotion for her having friends and family there for sure,” she said. “But what I know about Rachel is she's a real team person and she'll be more hurt for the team that we didn't get the result that we all want.

“I’m sure she'll quickly refocus as the leader and professional that she is and help the team to bounce back because that's what we need to do now.”

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