Scunthorpe United manager Graham Alexander says he’s been impressed with his squad’s reaction to Saturday’s defeat at Bradford City.
He revealed the levels in training have been high and reiterated it’s a reaction which really impressed him.
He told The Iron PlayerHD: “Training has been good. It’s always interesting to see the reaction from the team when a new manager comes in and has a defeat, because you sometimes don’t know what you’re going to get.
“However, they’ve been really positive and we’ve had a really good week on the training pitch.
“Everyone’s fighting for a place in the team and that’s how it should be, and hopefully that’ll continue.”
He stated the positive response will be much needed, as his side host high-flying Burton Albion at Glanford Park this Saturday.
However, despite the Brewers’ strong league position, Alexander is of the opinion that the game will provide a good chance to see how close the Iron are to challenging those at the top.
“It’ll be a very good test, because they’re a very good team. They’ve followed on from last season, and to be fair, they’ve probably been on a good run of success for three or four years,” he said.
“They’ve had three or four years of solid, positive results. So it’s going to be a test, but it’s a good barometer for us to look at our team and see what it takes for us to be successful in this division.
“It’s great talking about the opposition, but my focus is on my team, my players and how we perform on the day.”
The Iron were dealt a cruel injury break this week, with the news of loanee Jim O’Brien being ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, but the 44-year-old feels O’Brien’s groin injury will provide a chance for others to impress before the end of the season.
“The news came out about Jim (O’Brien) and he’s going to have to have an operation, which means he’s going to be out for the rest of the season,” he explained.
“So that’s a big blow to us and the rest of our squad, because we know Jim’s qualities and obviously we’re not going to have him available for the rest of the season.
“It gives the opportunity for others to step into the breach, and that’s what we’re looking to do. We’re looking to introduce players who earn the chance to play in the team, and see how they do from now until the end of the season.”
See much more from Graham Alexander, Jordan Clarke and Luke Williams on The Iron PlayerHD.