After opening the season with two demoralising defeats, Nigel Adkins will take his Scunthorpe United side to Walsall's Bescot Stadium on Saturday. There, he will hope to re-align the fortunes of his stuttering team.

Tuesday night's Carling Cup exit will have come as a reality check for many of the Scunthorpe players. Indeed, after the 3-0 defeat, Kevan Hurst confirmed that the players now realise "Promotion will not just come to us."

And after the post-relegation revival of last season, many neutrals would have expected the Iron to come flying out of the blocks this year. Instead, Scunthorpe discover themselves out of the Carling Cup; and with five goals chalked-up against their new central defensive partnership - and the season is not yet a week old!

Saturday's opposition, Walsall, will also head into the game looking for a change in fortunes. The Saddler's are also without a win in their opening fixtures. They kicked-off their season last Saturday with a draw away to Yeovil, and in midweek followed it up with a Carling Cup exit at the hands of Darlington.

But in general, the feeling around Walsall is not one of pessimism. The club has every intention of vying for a place in the Championship this year - and after the success of their last two seasons, (a League Two Championship win in 2007; followed by a twelfth placed finish in League One last season) one would be very courageous to doubt the credentials of at least a play-off challenge from the Saddler's.

Since May, Jimmy Mullen has been at the helm of The Bescot after replacing former Iron manager Richard Money, who resigned in April. Only time will tell if Mullen will bring success to Walsall; but the caliber of his eight summer signings, especially Coventry captain Stephen Hughes suggests that Walsall want to achieve.

This Saturday, Scunthorpe will be hoping that the Saddlers will repeat the type of form that they displayed during the opening stages of last season. In their first five games, they managed to notch up only two points - enduring a brief spell at twenty-third position in the league table. However, the Saddlers fortunes picked-up, and they finished the league season in twelfth position and with sixteen wins to their name.

One potential flaw for Walsall this season could be the absence of Tommy Mooney. The veteran striker scored for them eleven times last season, finishing as the clubs top-scorer, but over summer left the Bescot to join Spanish side UD Marbella. His replacement, explosive striker Jabo Ibehre has already opened his account for The Saddler's with a goal at Yeovil, and much of Walsall's success this season could depend on his and fellow new-boy Michael Ricketts' ability to forge a strike partnership.

Elsewhere in their side, the performances of Clayton Ince (the 67 times capped Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper) and Anthony Gerrard, an experienced center-back, will be critical to keeping Gary Hooper and Scunthorpe out.

In conclusion, Saturday's match will be a game that both managers will want to win. No team will want to fall too far behind the pace at this stage of the season, and no team will want to go three games without a win. Going into the game, both teams will feel that they can win the match, and the Iron will be keen to chalk their first points onto the board.