KEITH JACKSON

stages of the Euro 2020. They’re both very good teams.

“But the only little crumb of comfort is that we now have three teams closer to our level.

“We have to make sure we get points from these matches to finish third. We still have that possibility. That’s what we have to target.”

That’s what Clarke must now cling to – the belief that this gargantuan task can only get easier from here on in – as well as the fleeting glimpses of better days ahead which he has spotted at various points during this tumultuous start to his reign. For an hour or so against the Russians, everything was going pretty much to plan.

And then Clarke’s defence forgot how to cope with a corner kick. It’s hardly the first time. In fact, this self harming streak is becoming habitual.

Clarke nodded and said: “Yes, that’s a big concern.

“When you look at the goals we’ve conceded from corner kicks it’s not really about our organisation. It’s been about one-v-one battles as the balls come in.

“When that happens I need to look at the personnel. I always try to leave one or two players up the pitch to give you a chance to get out from a corner. But maybe we’re getting to the stage where we need to bring everybody back and pack the penalty box.”

But it’s what happened immediately after battering ram Artem Dzyuba’s opener that really gave Clarke the fear.

He admitted: “I wasn’t really worried at that stage. But the second goal came really quickly after the first.

“When you lose the second goal three minutes after the first it’s like a double whammy. Mentally as a player COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLAND... COME ON SCOTLA