Togwell: Squad are now playing for their futures under Knill
SAM Togwell has warned his Scunthorpe United team-mates they must quickly put behind them the disappointment of relegation to League One – or risk being moved on this summer.
Given they are all but mathematically down on the back of Monday's 2-1 defeat to Millwall, it would be easy to suggest the Iron have nothing but pride to play for during their two remaining games.
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POINTS TO PROVE: Sam Togwell says the Iron's players have to prove to manager Alan Knill they are worth being part of his squad next season.
But after manager Alan Knill promised 'changes' and 'fresh blood and fresh impetus' in light of the way the club has under-performed in 2010/11, Togwell says every member of the United squad is playing for his future.
"The dressing room was quiet on Monday. Everyone was dejected – it wasn't a nice place to be," the former Barnsley midfielder told the Telegraph.
"But we've got two games left and we've got to keep fighting.
"Everyone is playing for their careers at this club.
"I'm sure the new gaffer is going to want to bring his own players in and, vice-versa, get players out.
"The next two games and the next two weeks of training are going to be massive.
"Football is a short career, you have to look after yourself. But never more so than in the next couple of weeks."
The dust may be settling on the realisation Scunthorpe will be back in English football's third tier next term.
The disappointment though, for United's players at least, shows no sign of abating.
That must be put to one side ahead of Saturday's penultimate match of the campaign – a trip to Nottingham Forest – even though the honest Togwell admits 'summer can't come quick enough'.
"It's been a long, hard season, three different managers – not that that is an excuse," admitted the 26-year-old, who labels his first experience of relegation as the 'worst feeling' he has had in football.
"We've proved we can do it at this level, we're the only side to score four against QPR this season, but it's been a case of inconsistency and sloppiness.
"We go out every game to give 100 per cent. We don't go out to lose.
"If teams break us down and score goals, you hold your hands up. But not many times this year has that happened, it's a case of us giving teams goals.
"Once we go over the white line, it's up to the 11 players on the pitch and the seven on the bench to do the job.
"Not enough times this season has that happened, so we have to look at ourselves and see what we could have done better."
As one of the more senior members of the Iron squad, Togwell says he feels a certain amount of responsibility to try to pick his team-mates up after the agony of Monday.
"I have to try to be strong not just for myself but for the younger players, it's a new experience for them," he added.
"It's hard, because everyone was quiet in the dressing room after the game and not talking.
"But in training we have to try to pick it up a bit because we've got two more games that will be important."
9 Comments
by Oscar O'Moggie, Brigg
Friday, April 29 2011, 12:03PM
“P.doff - I'm his niece, so you must be my Aunt Fanny”
by P.Doff, Wrongsville
Friday, April 29 2011, 11:34AM
“Oscar, Paul Hayes is my Brother in Law.”
by Kate Middleton, First days work
Friday, April 29 2011, 10:51AM
“What sort of 'fan' sponsors player sales, defeat and relegation?
Worst season in memory, 1000 lost ST holders, a Div 4 ground and IN DEBT.
Get this - a new manager will face the same problems as the previous two financially because they wont be backed by the board...expect a summer of missed targets because 'they wont come to Scunthorpe'...zzzzzz
Get a grip Oscar you utter joke.”
by Oscar O'Moggie, Brigg
Friday, April 29 2011, 9:31AM
“P.doff thankyou for correcting me, now let me correct you. Paul Hayes left last year not because of any wage cutting, not because the board didn't try hard to keep him, he left quite simply because Preston offered to TRIPLE his wages. This came as they say from the 'the horses mouth'”
by P.Doff, Factsville
Friday, April 29 2011, 8:26AM
“There are 17 of our existing players still under contract at the start of next season.
Adkins was our manager not Adkin.
Williams was the only player who thought the grass was greener. The other two and McCann were forced out due to wage cutting.”
by martin, guess
Thursday, April 28 2011, 10:24PM
“most of the squad are under contract who??? am i been stupid i thought most were out of contract”
by Oscar O'Moggie, Brigg
Thursday, April 28 2011, 5:22PM
“Reading the posts over the last few days it appears that the overwhelming majority on this site, back Wharton. Certainly we are a financially sound club and without Wharton we wouldn't have been anywhere near the Championship. True we could have spent big last summer but that wouldn't have been any guarantee that we would have stopped up.
1500 club or Sweet Charles or whatever he's calling himself today, would have liked Wharton to invest his own money in the club but why should he? He's here to run the club not finance it. Hayes, Williams, Sparrow etc who all jumped ship last year, didn't leave because SUFC didn't want them, they left because they thought the grass was greener. Hooper alone, I bet they all wished they stayed.
We have had five memorable seasons but we have to accept that the ' Adkin glory days' are over. Hindsight is a great thing, what we could've done is irrelevant, we have to move on.
Now it's Knill's turn, hopefully he can establish us as a top half League One side and then maybe we can challenge for the play-offs in a season or two. I wish him well.”
by Al, Bournemouth
Thursday, April 28 2011, 4:16PM
“I can understand some pessimism amongst us as league one is a different experience altogether, but if Knilly can live up to his billing then i believe we have a good chance of going back up again. A lot of tooing and froing to go on but we must learn theat a decent striker is needed and that is where the majority of any money should go. It is sad the way the season has ended after a brief glimmer of hope but the big mistake was not seeing the light sooner. Good luck to all for next season, fans and players alike and let's hope that the new regime is a productive one.”
by Sweet Charles, Nashville
Thursday, April 28 2011, 12:14PM
“Have we really 'under performed'?
Forte? Collins? Jones? Dagnall? Grant? Slocombe? Andy Wright? Div 2 players.
Nolan? Macnulty? Miller? Gardner? All the other loanees?
Who under performed then - Josh Wright after January..Nolan? You cant really expect a squad built on crumbs to over perform - I believe the root problem was last summers lack of ambition.
Expect a solid mid table finish next season, most of this squad are under contract anyhow - 3,400 average crowds here we come.
Well done to Mr Wharton and his board of 'yes men', you really did blow the biggest opportunity in a lifetime to actuallly push the club on from being the Town hall joke....at least we didnt risk our very existence by buying that field eh.
Up the Iron!”