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

“I believe I now have a good understanding of where we are at.”

The first words Melissa Andreatta everuttered following her Scotland debut resulted in a defeat and relegation to Nations League B.

When questioned about whether that baseline was higher or lower than she had anticipated, the Australian responded, “I’m not sure, if I’m honest.”

It had to be lower in the first half.

Austria, who left Hampden with all three deserved points thanks to Julia Hickelsberger’s front-poster flick just after the hour mark, had the best performance.

Manuela Zinsberger in the Austria goal had been merely a spectator basking in the Hampden glow up until that point and for ten minutes thereafter.

Some fight and finesse were brought about by a flurry of changes, but as Scotland’s player of the match and champion shooter Lee Gibson once more declared it was “too little, too late.”

This was never going to be a quick fix or overnight fix. It will take some time to transition.

The Scots have had a gloomy few months thanks to Andreatta’s introduction.

They have lost their first four games of the year since their Euro 2025 play-off heartache in Helsinki last year, conceding 13 goals in the process. Six were compared to Germany in Wolfsburg. In 15 minutes, five.

The discussion centered on the former Matildas assistant’s departure from the game the morning after the scudding, along with captain Rachel Corsie’s pending retirement.

The impact of that night’s at the Volkswagen Arena was tense, but the group was devastated by the incident.

The touches were intense. Poor passing was done. The opposition box was treated like a lava pool. Fear was the only thing that was absent.

Leanne Crichton, a former Scotland midfielder, called their performance “fragmented,” and Andreatta claimed that their previous four Group A1 games left them with “a little of a hangover.”

Seven games without a win now, with one more game against the Netherlands, the world’s 10th-ranked team, scheduled for Tuesday before a four-month break.

The head coach insists the “belief” is present despite the fact that it is a long summer to consider, possibly eight games and 11 months without a win.

The next generation stood tall on a night when Rachel Corsie, a veteran defender, was the subject of so much attention.

The 35-year-old was the first of five second-half substitutions, and the young people who came after him carried the ship forward while the wise old head stabilized a rocky ship.

Mia McAulay, the Scots’ opening scorer at Hampden in Sunday’s Scottish Cup final, gave the Scots the width, imagination, and spark they were looking for.

She joined Martha Thomas, who had made her debut in Kathleen McGovern, who Andreatta described as “holding her own” in Hibernian.

The 22-year-old, who had a fantastic personal year with the SWPL champions, did a power of running on her debut outing, but Emma Watson, 19, rose off the bench to offer authority and calmness.

The head coach continued, “Being so young, that’s the promising and positive thing: their willingness to take the information and carry out their player duties for the team.”

Andreatta smiled sincerely as she said there was plenty to look forward to.

She has fully immersed herself in the culture, cuisine, and coaching she has received over the past four weeks in these waters.

As the season came to an end, the Australian watched the Australian win her fair share of SWPL games, and she also watched last week’s Scottish Cup final closely. Between times, Irn-Bru and Cullen skinks have occasionally been gorged.

Although these things may seem trivial, there is a commitment to and respect for the country and their role that hasn’t always been there.

The 46-year-old was aware of the sizeable task she was taking on, but she wants to prove she hasn’t gotten too far.

When asked what she learned from her first encounter with the hot seat, she responded, “I’ve learned that I really believe in this group and what it will take to help this team realize their potential and advance to a whole new level.”

The key is, in my opinion, that the outcome doesn’t change or discredit that belief at all.