In an in-depth interview, manager Jimmy Dean has spoken about pre-season so far, the three home pre-season games coming up and the big kick-off in two weeks time.
Reflecting first on the three weeks that have passed and the four games player, he stated: “The obvious is the first two games weren’t where we wanted to be.
“We were trying a formation and it didn’t bode well, so we moved on pretty quickly. We should have been doing better, and I understand that, but I think it was a good eye opener for the boys to understand that they’re going to be everyone’s cup final. Pre-season bodes well for that.
“We’ve bounced back from those results and looked more cohesive. We are getting the energy in the right areas and I’m happy.
“Since we’ve come back in the building, the environment has felt good, it’s felt positive, the boys are bubbling, and I think it has come together nicely as we come towards the latter part of pre-season.
“I didn’t get too carried away by the first two games, so I’m certainly not going to get carried away by the next two games.”
With a large turnover in the squad, 11 new arrivals have been integrated into the squad ahead of the new campaign, with the United boss reacting to the squad he’s assembling.
“I’m really happy,” he stated.
“It needed stripping back and the environment needed changing, and we’ve done that. We’ve brought in good ages, they’ve got their best years ahead of them and hungry for success. That’s what this football club needs.
“We also looked to find players who, when they come to Scunthorpe United, this is one of the biggest clubs they’ve had in their career, and they understand that. I wanted players who appreciated what they’ve got playing in front of these fans.”
There was reserved praise for Cameron Wilson from the gaffer, who has come back to the club firing after initially leaving the side in the summer.
The 20-year-old has four goals to his name in pre-season, while has also been provider for a number of others: “He’s scored four goals, but on Tuesday he scored one and was involved in the other three before he came off. He’s been a revelation.
“I spoke long and hard to him to remind him of the ability that he’s got. He’s been at this club since he was eight and there’s a really strong tie there. He’s got a responsibility to help us get back up the leagues. He’s in the top two or three running every game and every training session. His sprint distances, his turns and his output on the important stuff like goals and assists, he’s top of. Long may it continue. We’ve got a responsibility to put time into him, but he’s got a responsibility to keep going what he’s doing.”
The weekend brings his squad back to Glanford Park, something Dean is looking forward to, with a tough test in store, first of all as Grant McCann and Cliff Byrne bring their Doncaster Rovers side to North Lincolnshire.
“It’s fantastic to be back at home. It’ll be nice for the new boys to realise what they’ve got behind them this season,” he stated.
“The away support is remarkable too. This year our fans will show just how massive this football club is at this level. It’s time to start giving them something to cheer and be happy about. It’s been a tough five years and I feel how it’s been, and there’s stuff that still needs to be better, and I do think it’s going to be a good season.
“It’s remarkable (that Tamworth is sold out already) in a few days. We say it all the time, but now it’s time to do the talking on the pitch to show the fans some appreciation and get some wins.”
And with just two weekends to go until the Vanarama National League North commences away at Tamworth, the Iron gaffer is more than ready for the challenge ahead, with the first home game seven days after against his former side Peterborough Sports.
“I’m really looking forward to it - that’s why we do it,” he added.
“We do it to win games. It was tough for the fans, but it was tough inside this building. Don’t think it didn’t hurt, because it certainly did for me. I don’t want to do too much talking off the pitch, I want to do it on the pitch. I want to get this club winning football matches again. It’s been five years in the bottom four, which is a record that no fan should endure.
“I’m looking forward to putting that right this season. I’m looking forward to getting out there and getting stuck into some of these sides.”