Steve Clarke is being slammed for his live TV post-match interview after his Scotland side suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil on Wednesday night.

The Scots beat Haiti 1-0 in their 2026 World Cup opener but then suffered defeat to Morocco in their second fixture – a result that put pressure on Scott McTominay and co. to get something out of their daunting clash against five-time world champions Brazil.

However, it took the Brazilians just seven minutes to score at the Miami Stadium. Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior netted twice in the first half, leaving Scotland with a mountain to climb after the break.

Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha scored his third goal of the tournament on the hour-mark as Brazil wrapped all three points, leaving them top of Group C, ahead of Morocco, by virtue of goal difference.

Scotland, on the other hand, now require results to go their way in order to reach the Round of 32 as one of the highest-ranked third-placed teams.

Clarke Blasted For ‘Poor’ Interview

REUTERS/Paul Childs

Clarke, who has been in charge of Scotland since 2019, has been blasted by fans for his blunt post-match interview, broadcast live on the BBC.

The 62-year-old was asked for his thoughts on the 90 minutes as a whole, to which he replied: “We made it difficult for ourselves. That’s it.”

When the reporter suggested Brazil didn’t need to work too hard for their three goals, Clarke added: “We gave them the goals, we gave them the game they wanted… disappointing.”

Clarke then stormed off when the reporter suggested it was now a matter of waiting to see if they secure qualification for the knockout stages.

“Always waiting,” Clarke replied, “I don’t even want to think about that. Sorry, I don’t even want to think about that.” He waved his hand up before walking off. Watch Clarke’s interview here:

Reaction to Clarke’s Interview

REUTERS/Paul Childs

Fans have been left dismayed by Clarke’s interview. One person said on X (Twitter):

A second fan commented: “Who does this miserable git think he is? Every interview he gives is like this. Horrible man. Rude. He has his job to do and he has failed so he makes it difficult for an interviewer to do their job. Deserves what he gets.”

A third added: “An absolute clown of a man. Cringeworthy stuff again at a tournament,” while a fourth said: “He should be sacked for that interview.”

A fifth supporter added: “The way Steve Clarke conducts his interviews is absolutely disgraceful and disrespectful to his players, the journalists, and the fans. McGinn was able to compose himself to give a full interview, least his manager can do is back him up.”

While Clarke was clearly frustrated after witnessing his side fail to compete against Brazil, his post-match interview appears to have made things worse.

Midfielder John McGinn told BBC Sport: “We lose poor goals at poor times against a team that can punish you with quality. We had a few chances but we’ve got to wait now.

“The lads are gutted, we fell short on quality but we gave it absolutely everything. The lads are empty now. It’s unlikely [that we qualify] but we’ll wait and see.

“It’s a bit raw at the minute but we appreciate the support of the fans, we know it’s difficult to be there. Hopefully the journey is not over and if we have to go again, we will go again.”

Liverpool are preparing a bid for a defender this summer, according to Sportsboom, as the club eye a solution to some issues in the backline.

The Reds are keen on adding some fresh faces to the team, having struggled over the past campaign with injuries and a slow possession-based style that never gripped the supporters.

Andoni Iraola’s appointment should help change the latter, with a switch to a new style that will require some new players and plenty of energy to execute his game plan.

The signings of Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz certainly do that, but there is still more work to do, not least after the exit of key stars such as Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate.

As the search goes on for other potential arrivals, an offer is now being prepared for one of Liverpool‘s transfer targets.

Liverpool Ready Andrei Ratiu Bid

While talks are ongoing for Liverpool to sign Yan Diomande, in a deal that appears quite complicated, attention has also been set on other possible arrivals.

Right-back is an area for potential improvement, and Sportsboom reports that the club are preparing a bid for Rayo Vallecano star Andrei Ratiu to help rectify any concerns in that position.

The report described the 28-year-old as “highly-rated”, after an impressive campaign with the Spanish side saw them reach the Conference League Final where they fell to defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.

It’s unclear exactly how much Liverpool are willing to table for Ratiu, though it’s claimed that the asking price for the star will be anywhere in the region of £25 million to £30 million.

A contract extension last November makes a deal difficult, as the Romania international has his future at Rayo secured until 2030, but hope remains that Liverpool can tempt the club to part ways with the star defender.

In doing so, Iraola may finally have a solution to the Reds’ ongoing right-back concerns.

Liverpool’s Right-Back Solutions

Right-back proved to be a problem position for Arne Slot last season, after Liverpool lost long-serving star Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid.

While Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong were viewed as the long-term successors, injury issues for both mixed in with concerns over form to make for an awkward spell on the flank for the Reds.

Slot tried to remedy this with the use of Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai, but that removed the pair from their more favoured positions in the middle of the pitch.

In signing a right-back this summer, Liverpool could solve those concerns for the new head coach right away, but that leaves another dilemma.

The question then surrounds what the future holds for Bradley and Frimpong. The pair may be in line for reduced game time, and three players for one position appears to be a bit over the top.

It may be tough to sell either of them as well. So perhaps for now, Liverpool would be safer sticking with their current options before spending yet more money in the market.

Tottenham are said to be leading Manchester United in the bid to land West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes this summer. The young midfielder is at the centre of one of the transfer sagas of the summer in the Premier League, having had a superb campaign of last for the Hammers.

West Ham’s relegation only confirmed that Fernandes’ future would be elsewhere, and the Iron are said to be asking for big money to sell their midfield talent. United and Spurs are now doing battle for the Portugal international’s signature, with the former needing to replace Casemiro, while the latter have allowed Yves Bissouma to leave at the end of his contract.

The race to land Fernandes has been hotting up this week, and according to one journalist, it is Spurs who are leading the race thanks to an ‘aggressive approach’.

Spurs leading the Fernandes charge

via Reuters

Speaking on The United Stand, the Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan said: “Obviously there is the situation with Fernandes at West Ham, who they really like. But what I’ve heard recently is Spurs have come in, and Spurs are surprisingly, and not just with United, but across the Premier League, how it was described to me, is that they have been really aggressive with the amount of money they are willing to spend.

“I don’t know if that’s nearly getting relegated frightening the life out of them, they have a manager now who is really forthright, who will look to get his own way. I know that when he got in at the door, it was on his terms. So maybe what we are seeing now is ‘I’ll keep you in the Premier League, but you’ve got to back me in the summer.’

“My information is that Spurs are already at the higher end of what United are happy to pay for him (Fernandes). There is still a belief that he wants to come and play for United, but you know as well as I do, it’s not just players, there are agents involved, and it tends to be that the player goes to whoever is offering the most money.”

Fernandes could be cheaper than Tonali

The defining aspect for Spurs is that they have already tried to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali for £75million, only to see their bid rejected. The Magpies are said to want £80-£90million for the Italian this summer, so for Spurs, it’s logical for them to go and offer £75million for Fernandes if they believe he is a close second in terms of their targets this summer.

West Ham are reportedly demanding at least £70million in any case, and the United interest is always going to drive up the price. As for United, they seem to have a set price in mind, and the Tottenham interest might end up making Fernandes a player they move on from.