Scunthorpe Utd: Knill admits there's 'a lot more work to do'
ALAN Knill conceded he has 'a lot more work to do' to get Scunthorpe United ready for the start of the new season.
He accused his Iron side of being all talk as they drew 1-1 with Blue Square Premier League side Lincoln City, before crashing out of the Lincolnshire Senior Cup semi-final on penalties at Sincil Bank.
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FRUSTRATED: Iron manager Alan Knill.
Still attempting to strengthen his attacking options, with their League One opener at Wycombe Wanderers now less than a fortnight away, the United boss has demanded his players start earning their money.
"I'm under no illusions and I was under no illusions when I took the job that there was a lot of work to be done," he said after their 1-1 draw.
"I want to win games and I don't think it's too much to ask that everybody else does as well.
"That's what we get paid for. I get paid for results and developing players and the players get paid for winning.
"As the games and the weeks go by, we're more or less picking the team, which is why during pre-season I want people to step forward. We didn't have too much of that today.
"We didn't get heated at half-time, but I want people to go out on the pitch, run around and be enthusiastic. I want them to look as though they are enjoying playing and earning a living.
"I didn't think we had that, even though we had a lot of talk about it."
Knill admitted he did not know whether last year's relegation from the Championship was still playing on players' minds.
"You'll have to ask the players about their confidence," he said.
"Even from a couple of days away (referring to their trip to the Lake District), you can see who steps forwards, who leads, and who sometimes doesn't.
"The trip told us quite a bit about the players.
"The majority of it said they are a decent bunch, but nobody remembers a group of players who are a decent bunch off the pitch.
"Everyone remembers what you do on the pitch so we want a decent bunch on it as well.
"We had a lot of possession without doing enough with it in the final third and we had a lot of possession that we gave away poorly.
"If you work harder than the opposition to get the ball, the chances are you'll win more games than you lose."
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by NeilGriffin1
Tuesday, July 26 2011, 7:24PM
“Ker-CHING! That was easy,only took 30 minutes too.”
by RobinJackson1
Tuesday, July 26 2011, 6:48PM
“Lets get back to our traditions. Change the club name back to Scunthorpe & Lindsey United, it's our traditional name. Change the club nickname back to The Knuts, it's our traditional nickname. Change the club badge to the same as it was when we joined the league in 1950, it's our traditional badge. Keep the claret shorts.”
by NeilGriffin1
Tuesday, July 26 2011, 6:04PM
“If you dont like it - go watch Grimsby.”
by PStoff
Tuesday, July 26 2011, 5:38PM
“Iron123 is a club employee - nobody outside of the club's employ can be so enthusiastic without being devoid of any senses.”
by carllewis2010
Monday, July 25 2011, 8:51PM
“Iron 123 you are very wrong with your assumptions,firstly a lot of the people who have an opinion on here can remember the bad times in the seventies,myself being one of them.We all care about our club and do not want to go back to those days.Having an opinion does not make us all moaners,you just do not want to hear the truth.Wharton did nothing to help us reach and stay in the championship, it was mainly down to Madkins and a couple of gifted goalscorers.What really hurts most supporters is that Wharton blew our chances of staying up last season by just selling and not replacing what we had lost player wise.It looks like he will be quite happy to see it happen again this season.He has wasted a golden oppurtunity to have a team holding its own in the championship ,which should be plaing in a new ground like many other teams who do not lack ambition and forsight."UP THE IRON"!!!”
by Fitgeezer
Monday, July 25 2011, 7:16PM
“Word is getting round to other club players who are on the transfer list or freebies. "Scunny was a good outfit, unfortunately they have no passion as a club and a sleepy board with a handful of good supporters, as for wanting promotion , thats the last thing they want cost too much". The chairman and the board don't want to spend money either on players or improving the ground as they stand no chance of retrieving there investments in there lifetime.
Sad but true and I fear for the good honest supporters that they will watching L2 next year.”
by Oldironfan
Monday, July 25 2011, 5:28PM
“The first few league fixtures of the season look a real challenge on paper. If this team is struggling to put a performance together against Lincoln, I am extremely apprehensive about our potential position by the end of September. All teams want to get out of the blocks quickly at the start of a new season but this is especially important for a newly relegated side with major changes. I have my season ticket as I am hopeful of a bit more entertainment at Glanford Park. Perhaps I'm being a tad optimistic?”
by Iron123
Monday, July 25 2011, 4:00PM
“Lets take a deep breath here - we have done marvelous to reach the heights Mr. Wharton has taken us to, Mr Knill is clearly a talented manager and the new players require time to settle in. All you moaners on here were not following the club when we were in the old Division four and I believe people need to lower their expectations.
Get behind the club instead of spending all day moaning on on here.”
by thorpe27
Monday, July 25 2011, 2:15PM
“Don't foret who's been doing most of the talking here. Mr.Knill himself. None of his signings have shone, and we should be coasting against teams like Lincoln. I don't want my predictions to come right but at the moment.....Mmmmm.”
by PStoff
Monday, July 25 2011, 1:13PM
“Only one person to blame for all of this and the rot set in just over 12 months ago. It is now proving hard to put the brakes on what our much revered chairman started when he cacked his pants when we stayed up against all odds. He well and truly made sure we got back down to his comfort zone but I don't think even he could foresee what eventual damage has been and will continue to be done.
He has taken lack of ambition and miserliness to the nth degree and despite what is said in reports on here is not backing the manager up with funds. Our search for a striker is on hold because O'Connor is still here. Average fans are now seeing through Conor Sammon type statements for what they are - Hot Air.
For get the bounceback, forget a new stand, forget a new ground it's all spin and conjecture emanating from Jack Brownsword Way. Wharton will not be happy until we are down where the FA dictate our wages. We won't get anywhere near where the team took us over recent years whilst we have the chairman we have or any puppet he decides to sit in his place.”