Football Season Guide

After having a very disappointing time in their previous campaign, the Iron underwent a major squad overhaul over the summer, with Alan Knill opting to release a number of his players. The biggest surprises were the decisions to part way with full-back Eddie Nolan and skipper Cliff Byrne, who stated that the decision of the club to let him go came out of the blue for him. Three of last season's loanees were tied up to permanent deals: Josh Walker signed from Watford after impressing during his time with the Iron, David Mirfin is expected to lead the back four after signing his second permanent contract with the Iron, while Christian Ribeiro is expected to become a regular starter at right-back after signing from Bristol City. Like so many other midtable sides, the Iron have dearly missed a 20 goal striker last season: Mike Grella, who signs from Bury, is unlikely to fill this gap, and all eyes will be on young striker Connor Jennings, who signed in January, only to get injured on his debut and miss the following three months of action. However, even if Jennings does prove to be a hit in League One, it is hard to see Scunthorpe challenging for top six with their current squad - a few more quality players in midfield and attack are needed, while the size of the squad is another problem, as they have only eighteen professionals on their books.