Joe Nuttall offers in-depth Scunthorpe United assessment | OneFootball

Former Blackpool striker Joe Nuttall was one of the five new Scunthorpe United players to make their home debuts for the club at the weekend.

The Iron were unfortunate not to pick up a point on Saturday, as they matched their opposition fairly well throughout the match, though a late goal from Junior Luamba denied the hosts a share of the points, ensuring that Oldham Athletic left the Sands Venue Stadium with the win.

The Manchester City academy graduate was understandably disheartened with the full-time result, notably touching on his frustration regarding a penalty that wasn’t given for the home side.

Speaking to iFollow Iron post-match, Nuttall stated: “It was a disappointing result. There are some positives we can take away from it. In the first half, we played well and were the better team.

“We had a penalty shout, and if the referee gives that we could’ve potentially gone 1-0 up early on, which gives us a boost for the rest of the game.”

However, regardless of the result, the striker was clearly optimistic for the future, stating his belief that the new recruits in the Iron camp can certainly make a difference in taking their side out of the relegation zone.

“There were six players in the starting line-up who were all new signings and haven’t played together before. I think in the coming weeks, you’ll start to see massive improvements once those players start to gel and take on board the messages from the manager.”

Despite a significant knee injury curtailing his time at Blackpool, the 25-year-old is confident that he is quickly returning to match fitness with his new club.

“The fact that I could play Tuesday and then Saturday was a big boost for me,” he continued. “Hopefully, I can continue with my run of games. I feel good. I’ve been training for a while. Obviously, game time has been at a minimum, but I feel good.”

The Iron are back in action tonight, as they take on Walsall, who currently sit in 21st place after losing their last six games in League Two, a must-win game for both sides.

When asked about the upcoming fixture, Nuttall stated: “We’re confident that we can do the job.

“It’s about grafting and trying to grind out results, and then hopefully we can climb the table. We’ve got to look back and learn where we can get better from Saturday’s game, but we can only take it game-by-game and look forward, rather than looking back. We have to improve.

“We’ve got to keep focusing on ourselves, keep grinding and grafting, and hopefully get up that table.”

The Verdict

Despite sitting at the bottom of the League Two table, and failing to win a league game since 2021, Scunthorpe United cannot yet be written off.

With their new signings, the Iron are certainly becoming more of a threat, with the introduction of not just further talent, but determination and confidence, further boosting Keith Hill’s side.

The final fixtures of the season, especially for those teams in and around the relegation zone, will likely be more than just a test of ability, with fortitude and resilience being key to these teams’ survival.