Jen Beattie and manager Pedro Martinez Losa during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifier between Scotland and Hungary . (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)
The new manager has presided over three World Cup qualifying wins but Beattie admitted there was much room for improvement after Friday’s last-gasp victory over Hungary when captain Rachel Corsie knocked in a dramatic winner with 20 seconds left on the Hampden clock.
Beattie said: “Our performance is going to be the main focus. We have huge games against Spain coming up and Sweden are off the back of a very successful summer, getting a silver medal, and are one of the best teams in the world right now.
Jen Beattie during a SWNT Training session at Oriam on October 21, 2021, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)
“So it’s perfect prep for us to try to test ourselves against a very good team. Whatever the result there will be so many learning outcomes.”
On the new manager’s impact, the Arsenal centre-back said: “He has been trying to implement his philosophy and cultural ideas on to us very quickly. We have had to learn fast but that’s professional football these days, you have to just get on board with whatever the manager is willing to do.
“I think this group is very open-minded with that and has really tried to take on board everything he is trying to coach us and implement that into these games very quickly, because we had qualifiers straight away with Pedro. So we were very results-focused but still trying to underline all the little things we are trying to implement.
“If I’m looking at the way we conceded the goal (on Friday), our technical ability needs to improve. Pedro’s style is a very technical aspect of football.
“I still think, as a defender, we concede too many goals as a team. Our defensive shape and physicality within our box is where we tend to lose too many goals, so that’s something we need to improve on.”
