Scotland: Steve Clarke needs third region to build play-off momentum

Steve Clarke has misplaced three of his four video games as Scotland teach

Steve Clarke has set Scotland the target of finishing third of their Euro 2020 qualifying group after admitting their handiest hope of accomplishing the finals is through next year's play-offs.

A humbling 4-0 domestic loss to Belgium left Scotland fifth in group I.

Clarke insists there were signs things will get improved while admitting there become a whole lot to improve upon.

"i am now not going to scan," stated the manager. "I should make us enhanced defensively, extra resilient."

Scotland conceded from their own attacking free-kick as Kevin de Bruyne and scorer Romelu Lukaku broke at pace.

De Bruyne then crossed for Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld so as to add extra dreams before half-time and the Manchester city playmaker scored the friends' fourth late on.

"You can't avoid the scoreline but i thought there we re moments the place we appeared like we might turn into a very good team, given time to grow," Clarke referred to.

"In certain features of the video game, the manner we tried to circulate the ball, the way we tried to press Belgium, now and then we acquired it right.

"however I don't like losing, I do not like losing video games closely, so we must are attempting to tackle that within the subsequent four games.

"We must tighten up. It comes down to individual battles, one v ones. we'll have to examine that. we will have to appear on the shape of the group defensively and spot if we are able to enrich on what we had tonight."

Clarke says the next four video games, starting with an away healthy in opposition t Russia, are all about being as neatly organized as viable for March's play-off semi-closing, which changed into made possible by using winning ultimate year's international locations League group.

"The community's over when it comes to qualificatio n," added Clarke, whose facet take a seat some extent at the back of Kazakhstan and Cyprus after six games. "What we ought to do now - we spoke about it after the video game - is target third position. It does not appear very respectable where we are in the desk simply now.

"there's 12 elements up for grabs. Between now and the conclusion of this qualifying crusade we should be certain we conclude third within the neighborhood.

"or not it's first rate in terms of ranking and seeding and if we finish third it is going to suggest we now have carried out smartly, received a couple of video games and picked up aspects, which should supply us self belief going into the play-off video games."