Ahead of the commencement of the new League One season, Scunthorpe United manager Graham Alexander believes his players are capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone in the division.
United begin their campaign at home to Bristol Rovers on Saturday, a game which Alexander says his players will have to be fully prepared for.Speaking to The Iron PlayerHD, Alexander said: “They’re in League One for a reason, because they’re a good team - they’ve shown that over the course of the past two seasons (winning back-to-back promotions).
“They’re not a club which deserves to be outside of the Football League, because it’s a big club with a big following. We know we’re going to be tested on Saturday but we also believe, with our squad, that we can compete with anybody at this level.
“We’ll have to make sure we concentrate on our own performance, but obviously we have to take into account the opposition. However, we have to concentrate on our own game, because if we don’t get our own performance right then it doesn’t matter who we play.”
The Iron boss revealed he has got some tough decisions to make in the lead-up to the clash with Rovers, but at the same time insisted it’s a good problem to have.
“The lads are obviously excited about the start of the season. We’ve tapered down the training to the usual sort of routine that we’d go through, throughout the season,” he explained.
“They’re all competing well, and they’re all desperate to play on Saturday. So it’s down to me and the staff to now pick the right team which we believe will go and win the game."
He also added that it’s a definite plus point to be kicking off in front of a strong home support, but was quick to point out that the outcome of the match is the main focus.
“It’s a positive one for us, obviously the result is more important - it doesn’t matter if it’s home or away,” he stated.
“In saying that, to get underway at home is good for the supporters, because obviously the majority can come then. However, home or away we’d have had a tough test, without a doubt."
See much more from Graham Alexander, Murray Wallace and Tom Hopper on the Iron PlayerHD.
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