Watch Sportscene & follow reaction after Scotland thrashed by Russia

Quote Message: It's not going to be easy for Steve Clarke. There's a lot of pressure on him with the results he is getting. At the same time there is still that golden ticket to be won next March and he has to convince the players and the fans that it's still a possibility. I think we've all got our doubts.

It's not going to be easy for Steve Clarke. There's a lot of pressure on him with the results he is getting. At the same time there is still that golden ticket to be won next March and he has to convince the players and the fans that it's still a possibility. I think we've all got our doubts.

Quote Message: Worst case scenario we need to take seven points out of the next nine. We should be getting nine in all honesty, but we've got to beat Kazakhstan and at least get a draw away to Cyprus to get some sort of momentum.

Worst case scenario we need to take seven points out of the next nine. We should be getting nine in all honesty, but we've got to beat Kazakhstan and at least get a draw away to Cyprus to get some sort of momentum.

Quote Message: The worrying part is the 'fragile confidence' the manager speaks about. If you have players that at least can't show you a bit of courage and spirit when things are going against you, you have issues. Are you going to sort that out on the training field?

The worrying part is the 'fragile confidence' the manager speaks about. If you have players that at least can't show you a bit of courage and spirit when things are going against you, you have issues. Are you going to sort that out on the training field?

Some more from Scotland manager Steve Clarke.

"I think in all the games we've played there have been moments where you can see what we're trying to do and where we're trying to get to. But, obviously, the results are dreadful. There's no getting away from that. I'm not going to hide behind that, we have to do better.

"We have to make sure as a group of people working together we keep improving. And like I say this is the lowest of the low."

He is then asked is the job bigger than you thought?

"On the back of a 4-0 defeat, off the back of two 4-0 defeats - yeah, it feels difficult. But I was brought up the hard way, I'm in for the fight and I think the players are in for the fight too."

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Asked how he can lift his side for next year's play-offs, Steve Clarke says: "Hard work. Maybe one or two different selections in terms of squad as well as starting eleven, it's something I've got to look at.

"Obviously, we can't keep conceding goals. You have to give a nod of your head to the quality opposition we've played recently - Belgium and Russia - two very good teams who I'm sure will be involved in the latter stages of Euro 2020.

"For us it's to try and make sure this is the very, very bottom of the lowest and then build from here and make sure come March we're able to be very competitive and get through the play-offs to give ourselves a chance to be in the same championships."

Speaking at the post-match press conference Scotland boss Steve Clarke opens with...

"We conceded a soft goal, the first goal was soft from the corner. Man-on-man we have to do better. From there we quickly found ourselves out of the game, allowed the game to run away from us. We have to put it down to fragile confidence, players seem to lose heart very easily, which is unfortunate because we had done okay up to that point.

"I don't think we went out of the game because of our personnel, or the team shape, or the way we set up our tactics. We went out of the game because of a corner. And from there the fragile confidence, we just allowed the game to run away from us."

While we wait to hear from Scotland manager Steve Clarke, it's worth taking another moment to applaud the second-half display from Russia captain Artem Dzyuba.

The captain scored two, set one up and hit the woodwork. He's a big unit and was just too hot for the Scotland defence to handle.

Russia are on their way to an eighth major finals since Scotland last played at one, back in 1998.

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More of your views from Twitter @bbcsportscotland

Michael Horn: Scotland need three wins from final three games to muster any sort of respectability from the group. For me, we are not robust or difficult to beat. Too flimsy in defence and Clarke still hasn’t managed to get the correct formation and formula to compete against bigger teams.

Michael: We have only lost one game we shouldn't have. Kazakhstan away. The rest has been expected.

Quote Message: We need to make sure we don't concede against San Marino. At that, will we even gain any confidence from winning a game like that? I don't know the length of time it is going to take to get better.

We need to make sure we don't concede against San Marino. At that, will we even gain any confidence from winning a game like that? I don't know the length of time it is going to take to get better.

Glutton for punishment? You can catch highlights from tonight's game over on BBC Scotland at 23:00.

Quote Message: The biggest concern is, when we lose one goal, we're just folding like a pack of cards then it's 2,3,4,5...

The biggest concern is, when we lose one goal, we're just folding like a pack of cards then it's 2,3,4,5...

"Gutted" and "devastated" are two of the words used by a barely audible Charlie Mulgrew as he gets through a brief interview with Sky Sports.

Quote Message: It's impossible to ask fans to support the country with results like this. San Marino, we're going to have to score a few goals. Cyprus and Kazakhstan - if we don't take care of these two, what kind of confidence will the squad have going in to the play-offs in March? It's a really serious situation we find ourselves in.

It's impossible to ask fans to support the country with results like this. San Marino, we're going to have to score a few goals. Cyprus and Kazakhstan - if we don't take care of these two, what kind of confidence will the squad have going in to the play-offs in March? It's a really serious situation we find ourselves in.

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An assortment of reactions from fans via Twitter @bbcsportscot

Iain MacRae: Embarrassing, and Clarke was the best option? How can decent club players become atrocious under Clarke ? I went to Italia 90 to follow Scotland, I wouldn’t watch them if they were in my back garden now.

Mark Webster: Play the under 21 team ,they would play with more heart and conviction

Allan Murchison: Worse than Cyprus and Kazakhstan! We need to sort this out @ScottishFA at this rate San Marino will pip us to the 5th place finish!

So what are those next three games?

San Marino visit Hampden on Sunday, then it's away to Cyprus and home to Kazakhstan in November.

Nine points should be enough for third place but we needed a late goal to beat the Cypriots at Hampden and this horror show began with a 3-0 demolition away to the Kazakhs.

Quote Message: We need to get the Tartan Army back on side. These next three games, we have to put in performances, get strong players back. Let's cut to the chase, we're struggling defensively. We've lost bad goals again tonight - albeit some wonderful goals in terms of finishing.

We need to get the Tartan Army back on side. These next three games, we have to put in performances, get strong players back. Let's cut to the chase, we're struggling defensively. We've lost bad goals again tonight - albeit some wonderful goals in terms of finishing.

Quote Message: If I was a full-back at 2-0 or 3-0, you know the game's gone. Just get one of your wide men to sit in front of you and see it out. When we lose one or two, the shape and discipline of the team goes, and it can't be like that. You need damage limitation

If I was a full-back at 2-0 or 3-0, you know the game's gone. Just get one of your wide men to sit in front of you and see it out. When we lose one or two, the shape and discipline of the team goes, and it can't be like that. You need damage limitation

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Quote Message: There was a lot of positive stuff in the first half - shape, organisation, communication and we did pose a certain threat, or a hope of a threat, going forward. There was a collapse of the second half in simple, straightforward, physical defending.

There was a lot of positive stuff in the first half - shape, organisation, communication and we did pose a certain threat, or a hope of a threat, going forward. There was a collapse of the second half in simple, straightforward, physical defending.