What have we learned from Scotland in 2025?

Ten games, two wins, two draws and six defeats. Twelve goals scored, 23 conceded.

Eight debutants, two head coaches and one Nations League A relegation.

It has been quite the 12 months since Scotland froze in Finland at the chance to reach Euro 2025 exactly one year ago on 3 December 2024.

That devastating defeat and miserable missed opportunity always meant this year was likely to be one of rebuilding and reenergising.

Difficult to do when six stern A-League matches kick off the calendar year. Which is perhaps why defender Sophie Howard said Scotland "needed" the four friendlies to round off the year.

But, in his four-game stint as interim boss, Michael McArdle got the ball rolling, introducing six uncapped players and dropping nine of those who made the hapless trip to Helsinki.

The permanent successor to Pedro Martinez Losa, Melissa Andreatta, has bashed on with that baton in hand while picking up the two victories since swapping the east coast of Australia for the west coast of Scotland.

Twelve players in her squad for the year-ending friendlies in Jerez, Spain, were not on the painful plane home last year.

Plenty personnel has changed, then, but what have we learned from this year?

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Fresh faces ready to flourish

Emma Lawton, Eilidh Adams, Freya Gregory, Kathleen McGovern, Mia McAulay, Georgia Brown, Miri Taylor and Maria McAneny have all made their Scotland debuts this year.

Defender Lawton got her first international goal against the Netherlands in February to cap a sensational personal season last term, while Celtic team-mate McAneny scored a 96th-minute debut goal as the midfielder salvaged a draw against Ukraine.

Hibernian striker McGovern has already made a case she is the Scots' go-to striker with two goals in four games. Had she been fit, she would have fancied her chances out in Jerez too.

Andreatta did call her "a beast" of a forward, after all.

Former England youth players Gregory and Taylor have caught the eye, while the latter looks to be a shrewd switch with her experience telling in the middle of the park.

They have all injected freshness in an otherwise familiar squad, but the weight of turning this dark blue tanker back in the direction of the major tournament stage cannot fall solely on their shoulders.

Senior members and seasoned campaigners in this squad are still required to do more if the Scots are to work their way to the World Cup in 2027.

"I've learnt so much," Andreatta said in the aftermath of her second win in six games as head coach.

"This team is not only full of desire and desperately wants to be back on the world stage, but they are so willing to improve and be better and support their teammates to be better and do the crest proud.

"When you have that kind of mindset then anything's possible, because they're always wanting to learn and develop.

"I think that's unique. Then, put that together with their togetherness, it's a special thing to have. What I know is that this team will never stop."

Squad can't shake 'Scottish way'

If Scotland had stopped after 15 minutes on Tuesday in Jerez then it would have been a very different post-mortem.

At 3-0, there were murmurs they might be able to mount a tally like the Lionesses did against China on Saturday.

However, that would be too easy. The Scots prefer to suffer "the Scottish way".

On her first start, Kirsty Howat had the chance to complete a hat-trick - after scoring two special first-half goals - and restore Scotland's three-goal advantage from the spot, but her strike kissed the left post, while the rebound was helped over.

From potentially 4-1 to 3-2, it was an unnecessarily nerve-wracking end to the encounter.

Just days before, the dominant Scots needed that last-gasp McAneny finish to pick up a draw with Ukraine, while Andreatta's first win - against Morocco in October - was secured in the 90th minute thanks to Caroline Weir's wonder strike.

"If we get that [penalty], the pressure sort of releases a little bit, but then they go and score and It makes it super interesting, which is the Scottish way, apparently," Andreatta said.

"I think what we did was show really good character. The way we defended was excellent. To deny them chances from all those crosses, I think looking ahead, that's what you're going to need in tight games and tournament football."

How do Scotland buck the trend and save their supporters from ageing a few years, though?

"We're really going to use the beginning of the February camp to have a good training block, where we focus on some of those details," the Australian added.

"With time, we'll keep making progress like we've seen with each performance. That's what we're going to work towards and I can't wait, actually."

Belief in return to big stage still beams

For Andreatta and her players, February cannot come quick enough.

That is when they will meet up again as their World Cup qualification campaign gets underway against Luxembourg on 3 March.

Due to their relegation to League B, it is not as straightforward as Scotland finishing top in Group B4 - with Belgium, Israel and Luxembourg - and booking their tickets to Brazil. A play-off pathway will need to be navigated too.

However, that prolonged process has not blighted their belief that they can end their run of three missed major tournaments.

That same message was being delivered in the lead-up to last year's play-off against Finland - and the play-off pain before that against Northern Ireland.

Andreatta, though, points out that this group is "hungry" to make their nation proud.

"I think we're finally developing a belief that we should be there," defender Sophie Howard said earlier in the week in Spain.

"I think we're a very humble squad and I think that's why we get on so, so well, but I think it's about time that we believe, we belong on that international stage again."

Related internet links

• Scottish Football Association