Steve Clarke insists Scotland job decision isn't his if 'horrible' recent run continues as ultimate aim remains the focus

Steve Clarke admits being in charge of Scotland’s recent run of international misery has been a ‘horrible’ experience.

Clarke and his injury ravaged squad arrived here in Zagreb ahead of a Nations League showdown with Croatia - and on the back of a wretched stretch of results during which they have claimed just one win from 14 games. And Clarke concedes he’s been taking the nation’s pain personally as he attempts to plot his side’s course towards the next World Cup.

The manager was asked if it had now reached the point where he must start winning games again to continue in his position. He replied: “It's not for me to decide.” But when asked about the toll it has taken he went on: “It's horrible, right. Not winning games, it's horrible. But I have to try and look at the big picture. I'm not saying we're using this campaign to prepare for the next qualifying campaign.

“But there is an element of that where we can use these matches to try and prepare ourselves. Because the ultimate aim for me, I've already spoken about it, is I would love to go to a World Cup, the Finals, with my country. And that's the challenge that I'm focused on.”

Clarke is also unhappy that no national broadcaster has forked out to show the game live back home - with armchair fans left to watch a stream on Youtube instead. He said: “You've got to be disappointed that nobody's picked it up and put it on television. It would be nice for them to sit and watch the team and hopefully we can play as well as we did last month in the bat season and come out with good results.”

Asked if this seemed particularly curious given that Scotland are now in the top flight of the Nations League, at a time when England - whose defeat against Greece was shown live on ITV