Steve Clarke owes Scotland only one thing and if he can't guarantee it then he should walk away – Keith Jackson

It doesn’t mention it in the manual and they don’t hand it out with the coaching badges either.

But, somewhere along the line, in order to even want to be a manager these days, it seems as if nursing masochistic tendencies is almost a prerequisite.

Really, why else would they put themselves through it?

Why would Russell Martin, for example, have stalled for so long on taking an easy life at Leicester City in order to throw himself into the lion’s den at Ibrox?

Martin hasn’t even clocked into Auchenhowie for his first day in the office but he is well aware already there are Rangers supporters out there who would prefer that he didn’t bother.

The same goes for Steven Pressley at Dundee even though he’s currently celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary in Vietnam and has still to set foot back in the city he once called home. He’s about to discover a far more arduous marriage awaits.

Barry Ferguson, meanwhile, is relaxing with the family in the Greek sunshine but probably still simmering a little inside at the manner with which he was waved off to the airport by Kevin Thelwell and Gretar Steinsson.

Ange Postecoglu will be hitting a beach too with a big fat redundo cheque in the back pocket of his togs, after doing the impossible and winning a trophy for Spurs and getting sacked off by them for his trouble.

And then there’s the curious case of Steve Clarke - the man who ushered Scotland back in from the wilderness years - but who now stands accused of botching the job with the most talented group of players the country has assembled in decades.

It all feels a little bit like touch and go right now for Clarke ahead of the friendly in Liechtenstein - on the back of a pride crushing defeat at home to Iceland on Friday night.

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