Steve Clarke fires back at Craig Levein and Willie Miller as he slams pundits who 'like the sound of their own voice'

Steve Clarke has blasted back at his critics – and insisted they should know better than to point the finger of blame at him for Scotland ’s World Cup near miss.

Clarke spoke up to mount a staunch defence of his team and his tactics despite coming under heavy fire following last week’s play-off defeat at the hands of Ukraine.

Former national boss Craig Levein led the attack, insisting Clarke had got his team selection and system wrong - then accused him of being too slow to make vital changes as the chance to make history got away from his players.

And former Scotland and Aberdeen defender Willie Miller joined in the on-air filleting of Clarke during a live broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland by insisting the manager had got his starting XI ‘totally wrong’.

But Clarke, who is preparing his team to get back on track with a Nations League opener at home to Armenia, hit back by insisting two former professionals should ‘know what it’s all about’.

He said: “It’s part of the job. They can have their opinion. They have been there so they should know what it’s about.

“I’m not getting dragged into it. I don’t like to comment on pundits because they are paid to give an opinion.

“I don’t read it, I don’t listen to it. As I said, I have my own way of dealing with disappointment and how to move on and I’m really good at it.”

Asked what coping skills he has developed during his time in charge he responded: “I go to my wee happy place. I’m not telling you where it is! But it’s in my head.”

Levein and Miller, though, were both highly critical of Clarke’s decision to stick to his 3-5-2 formation despite losing Kieran Tierney to injury weeks in advance of last week’s showdown.

But Clarke hit back: “I am not sure what the clamour for