Scunthorpe Utd: Reid - Opener at Wycombe will test Iron's mettle
WITH just 48 hours left until Scunthorpe United's opening game of the new season at Wycombe, centre-back Paul Reid knows the players face a huge test of character.
They need to show they are competitive when they return to League One football at Adams Park on Saturday.
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STRAIGHT TALKING: Defender Paul Reid knows this will have been a big week in training for United as they prepare for Saturday's opener at Wycombe.
To do that, they have to put behind them that 5-0 drubbing at home to Barnsley in their final warm-up game.
Reid knows things did not go according to plan at Glanford Park in United's final pre-season friendly – and is only too well aware that this week is a big one on the training ground for himself and his team-mates.
"I thought we were making progress," said the 29-year-old defender.
"In the game against Rotherham last week we started to look something like a team.
"I was hoping that in what was our only friendly game in front of our own fans, we would give them something to get excited about for the season ahead.
"But the way we performed last Saturday had completely the opposite effect – it has left more questions than answers.
"Hopefully it will give us something of a reality check.
"Possibly we are not as good as we think we are.
"That performance was miles away from being good enough for a team wanting to challenge for promotion.
"Barnsley looked a decent Championship team, but regardless of that there is no way we can afford to play like that against anybody."
It was the old habit from last season of conceding too many soft goals that alarmed Reid most.
"We have a habit when losing a goal, it then becomes two or three very quickly," he confessed.
"It is not good enough to be out of the game after only 25 minutes.
"The only positive we can take out of Saturday was that at least it was not a league game.
"If we can get off to a good start in the league, then how we played against Barnsley will be forgotten."
Reid knows the Barnsley display sent the wrong message to fans hoping to see United bounce straight back into the Championship – just like they did three years ago via the play-offs.
"Hopefully we will get last Saturday our of our system in training this week," added Reid.
"We do need to get our better players back on the pitch, like Michael O'Connor.
"But he is going to have to be a heck of a good player to turn a performance like that around.
"He is going to need a lot better support from the rest of us."
6 Comments
by PStoff
Friday, August 05 2011, 3:34PM
“You get the usual " I will back the manager with whatever he wants " only for the manager getting what the chairman wants him to have.
Mr Cautious is holding back just in case the tribunal makes him cough up millions for Ryan instead of the 75k what it will end up being.
We have shed two players this week that will not be replaced and we will have to get by with what we have. Conor Sammon was not a Sammon but a red herring and so is talk of any other player joining the club until at least January.
There will be pages and pages on here in the coming weeks of apologies and we can do better snippets as well as who will be coming good and references to performances in years gone by.
We are a joke run by a joke chairman who does no other than look downwards and take us downwards and who does not care who he upsets on the way.”
by Izziteck
Thursday, August 04 2011, 5:06PM
“Why haven't we made an offer for Tevez? No ambition from the board, that's why.”
by usernameinuse
Thursday, August 04 2011, 12:06PM
“What happened to the transfer kitty - wasn't £2m mentioned at one point - or even the 600000 supposed to have been offered for Connor Sammon ?”
by Scunnyfan
Thursday, August 04 2011, 10:06AM
“We are not going up because it's plain obvious that Wharton don't want us there for a start. Why else are we "struggling" to get in players? It's a load of rubbish old spin. Wharton's not making money available. THIS IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER LONG SEASON FOLKS. DON'T LIE THE BLAME AT ALAN KNLL. BLAME IT ON WHARTON, BLAME IT ON THE DIRECTORS WHO DON'T EVEN GIVE A PENNY OF THEIRS INTO THE CLUB AND FINALLY BLAME THIS ON IAN BARACLOUGH. A LOT OF THE SQUAD IS STILL HIS AND NOT WHO ALAN WANTS. So in all survival has got to be the first target.”
by carllewis2010
Thursday, August 04 2011, 9:53AM
“Instead of talking the talk,players need to start earning thier wages and keep us in this league.With the present set up at glanford park i fear the worst."UP THE IRON"!!!”
by EpworthBrewer
Thursday, August 04 2011, 9:40AM
“You mean there are still supporters who think the Iron will be pushing for promotion ? Which Asylum have they escaped from ?”