McArdle makes case to be full-time Scotland boss

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Following a closely contested loss to the Netherlands, interim head coach Michael McArdle expressed that he would "be ready right away" if the SFA chose to extend his tenure.

Since his appointment as interim manager last month for the first two matches in the women's Nations League, he has kept his thoughts on the matter largely private. Until recently.

After announcing his inaugural squad—which featured six players without caps and excluded ten from the last training camp—he emphasized that his "full focus was to serve" his country in the matches against Austria away and the Netherlands at home, stating that he had not considered taking on the role permanently.

However, with those matches now behind him, his response to the same inquiry was that he is "ready" for the chance if it arises, even though it remains beyond his influence and he has received no signals regarding it.

Despite enduring consecutive losses, the SFA's head of women’s elite football has thoroughly enjoyed the experience—potentially a kind of audition—of managing the national team. McArdle faced a challenging task, stepping in to lead a Scotland team that had endured a tough and necessary post-mortem after failing to qualify for Euro 2025.

Rather than inherit a squad marked by past struggles, he chose a bold approach, selecting young talents he had previously collaborated with at various youth levels.

This progressive and somewhat risky decision could have backfired after a disappointing 1-0 loss to Austria.

The 45-year-old maintained that "blind steps" had been taken, highlighting several positives, including three players making their debuts at Josko Arena.

Against the Dutch team, he made significant changes to his lineup, leaving out notable players such as Bayern Munich's Sam Kerr, Rangers' Chelsea Cornet, Angel City's Claire Emslie, and Tottenham's Martha Thomas from the starting roster.

For about 55 minutes at Hampden, it appeared to be a clever maneuver. While the Scots were primarily on the defensive against their stronger opponents, they took the lead thanks to Emma Lawton's powerful shot on her second international appearance.

Even after Andries Jonker's team managed to reverse the situation, there was no sign of a complete breakdown.

Celtic's Lawton, who was deserving of the player of the match title, continued to challenge the exceptionally skilled Dutch side, while Eilidh Adams, making her first start, proved to be a handful.

In the interim between both matches, McArdle reiterated the necessity for experienced players to step up. While there was a noticeable improvement, it was again the less experienced players who stood out.

This may be attributed to their "lack of burden from previous experiences," as the head coach mentioned before facing the Netherlands, or their willingness to "take risks," which he praised after the match.

The absence of this crucial trait had previously hindered Scotland's performance in Finland. For far too long, the approach has leaned towards being overly cautious.

Given his significant inexperience at this tier, choosing McArdle may be seen as a risky move; however, he has revealed his intentions.

It is now up to the decision-makers to reveal theirs.