Niall Canavan says Scunthorpe’s lack of a midweek game has helped in the preparation for Saturday’s fixture against Rochdale.
Bradford’s progression in the FA Cup meant that the Iron’s clash with the Bantams has been rearranged - something United have benefitted from, says Canavan.“We’ve been able to work on things that we haven’t focussed on in previous weeks because of all the games we’ve had,” he said.
“Not having a midweek fixture allows you more time to plan the week out in terms of preparation for the next game.”
The centre back says the squad have enjoyed some good training sessions this week and everyone is now looking forward to the league clash against the Dale.
He added that the atmosphere in the dressing room is positive following the 1-1 draw against Sheffield United last weekend.
He stated: “We were a bit disappointed we didn’t take the chances we had but we’ve put that to bed now and moved on.
"On reflection you’d probably look at it as a good point. They had a good spell in the first half and we did well to ride that out.
“We’re now aiming towards Saturday’s game and are putting a plan in place for that."
The tie against the Blades marked the celebration of Irish Iron Day, which, along with Sheffield United’s impressive away following, contributed to the fantastic crowd of 5,550.
Canavan said: “It’s always nice to see that amount of fans and hear the noise they make. It really brings the game to life at times and it was great to see the Irish Iron awarded in recognition to the support they give to the club.”
He revealed that the preparation for this weekend’s clash away at Rochdale has been to “concentration on how we want to approach the game both when they have the ball and when we’re in possession.”
The defender says that Keith Hill’s side “like to play good football” and he is sure “they’ll look to get it down and knock it about if they can”.
“Hopefully we can stop that and exploit a few holes in their side,” he added.
The 23-year-old has had a long spell in Scunthorpe’s starting line-up since returning from injury earlier this year. He says he is enjoying his football at the moment and hopes his run in the side continues.
“Any time out of the team is a long time and I’m glad I’ve come back in. Thankfully the gaffer gave me a chance and hopefully I can stay fit and keep playing,” he said.