MIDFIELD man Michael O'Connor was brutally honest in his assessment of United's 6-0 humbling at Carrow Road.

"I thought that was the worst performance from any team that I have ever played in," he confessed.

"And I include myself, I wasn't too good either.

"We looked like a Conference team.

"I have never been beaten 6-0 by any team. It was so disappointing."

Though O'Connor accepts Norwich are one of the best footballing sides in the Championship, he knows Scunthorpe need to take a long, hard look at their own performance.

"I thought they were good, but I thought it was our own fault," he continued.

"From the first minute they were on top of their game.

"They were first to every ball and always looked more lively.

"It was always going to be difficult for us going down to 10 men.

"We hoped to try to get back into it in the second half but it became three, four, five and then six.

"A few or the lads looked like they were wanting the referee to blow up after 60 or 70 minutes."

O'Connor admits it was hardly the way for United to impress new manager Alan Knill.

"The arrival of a new gaffer should have given us a lift," he confessed.

"He said to us after the game that he wants players who will work hard."

“But today we just did not work hard enough, not one player.

“It was hard for the gaffer coming in just the day before the game.

“He told us what he is about and what he wants from us. He wants us to play football.

“We have got to try and buy into that now on the training ground this week.”

O’Connor accepts that the Iron’s Championship prospects now look bleak.

“It doesn’t look good. It does look like we are going down now,” he admitted.

“But we can’t just give up. There are still seven games left to play and while it is still mathematically possible, we have got to keep going.

“If we can put two or three wins together, then we can still get back in it.”

But after four successive defeats that leave them now anchored at the bottom of the table eight points adrift of safety when most of their relegation rivals are finding some form – and runaway leaders QPR due at Glanford Park next Saturday – the chances of that look slender.