FIFE SAVER
Scots up for qualifiers as Jenna gets call
WRITES EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU IT’S great to win games but I was most pleased by the excellent performance against Hungary in my first game as Scotland head coach.
From the very first training session we outlined our philosophy as a team moving forward. The players were very receptive and embraced everything over the five days.
It was very productive and it gave us an opportunity to prepare for our World Cup campaign.
We’re ready to kick off the campaign with the qualifiers against Belarus and Albania. There’s a good feeling about the group.
There is a bit of confidence just now and everyone is excited about the campaign.
A double-header is always difficult because there is a short window between both games and it will be about utilising the squad and having a togetherness within the camp.
We’ve had productive meetings about how we’re going to set up and what threat both teams will pose for us.
In international football, if you don’t get it right you know the opposition have always got two or three players who can hurt you.
They won’t be easy games. Belarus
There’s confidence now and everyone is excited about the campaign
and Albania have moved up two places in the rankings but we’ve got a confident group of players.
The squad is looking strong and we’ve got Jennifer Beattie and Emma Mitchell back after injury and that’s good for everyone as we’re trying to achieve a competitive environment.
That raises the players’ standards as individuals and in turn the standards of the team as a whole are raised.
Jenna Fife is also in the squad for the first time and I believe football should very much be about form.
I’ve watched Jenna, as have our other scouts, on numerous occasions and she’s had a really fantastic season.
Coming into the squad we can get a look at her in an international environment, which is different from the club environment.
She’s there on merit. Sometimes there is disappointment for players who haven’t been selected but this is one of the good stories.
Already in my short tenure it’s a very tough job in terms of team selection.
We had fantastic support at the Euros and I’d urge everyone to come along to our first home game of the campaign against Albania, which is free entry.
If we provide entertainment, people will want to come and watch us. It’d be great to have a big support on the night.