Set-piece failings are the focus for new Scunthorpe United manager Brian Laws

Brian Laws has made working harder without the ball and scoring more goals the priority in his first week of training since returning to Glanford Park.

Scunthorpe United have netted just 11 times this season – the lowest amount in League One –with Leon Clarke (7), Karl Hawley (3) and Mike Grella the only players to notch in the league.

The Iron boss has demanded that has to improve if the club are to have any hope of climbing away from trouble.

And set pieces have received particular focus given Scunthorpe are yet to score from one so far this season.

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"The lack of goals is obviously disappointing to see, however you've got to create first to score goals and I don't think they've been creating enough," said Laws this afternoon.

"That's something we've worked on. We have to make sure when players get in a good position they cross the ball.

"Hopefully we can get a few goals from other people. I think the responsibility on the players' shoulders has to be to get some goals.

"That's not just from open play, set plays are equally important.

"Scunthorpe haven't scored a goal from a set play this season, which I find quite alarming.

"You can win games through a set play and it disguises other failings and takes a little bit of pressure off the strikers.

"I expect the centre-halves to chip in, the same with midfielders and wide players. But I really do expect us to start scoring goals from set plays.

"They are areas in which you don't have to change the players, but you change the mentality and approach to them.

"You should be scoring from set players. You should be scoring 10 to 15 goals a season. That's a massive difference."

The Iron's return at the other end of the field has been equally disappointing.

United have the joint worst defensive record in the third tier – conceding an average of almost two goals a game.

Doing more as a unit when they don't have the ball is the way Laws wants his side to become harder to score against.

"We have to make the players organised and make sure they play in the right areas. Too many times I've seen they've been caught out by over-playing," he continued.

"I'm a great advocate of football. I love it to be played in the right way.

"That's not something I want to lose because I know the players here can play. But there's other things we can do.

"We can work a lot harder. The players are great with the ball but I want to see them, off the ball, working harder to get it back.

"That's something we've been trying to change and the players understand that there are key times that you do it and key times that you don't.

Laws confirmed Scunthorpe had been helping out former Hull and Bristol City goalkeeper Adriano Basso and ex-Barnsley winger Martin Devaney by allowing the duo to train at Grove Wharf with the rest of the Iron squad.

Both though have now left the club.

Laws added: "We've got to concentrate on the ones that are going to be here. I like helping people, but we're not a charity neither."