Scunthorpe United manager Keith Hill has used a break in fixtures to ready his players for Tuesday's visit to Stevenage, according to iFollow Iron.

The boss has been at the helm for over a month now, having taken over from Neil Cox at the start of November. Hill is yet to record a victory in the league, but believes there has been plenty of effort on the training ground.

"It's been hard work and the players have worked exceptionally hard in the pursuit of trying to improve," he started.

"We've been planning and preparing the players for the Stevenage game, but also...developing the players to the style that we want to play at. The 'mind bomb' that you plant in the players' brains does grow and then it turns into a positive and they become stronger".

United are only four points off Stevenage in League Two, with Paul Tisdale's side enduring somewhat of shock in their FA Cup defeat to non-league Yeovil on Saturday.

Regardless, this will be the Boro's first league match with Tisdale in the dugout, after they also made a managerial change last month.

Discussing the opposition and the new coach, Hill continued: "They have a very good squad of players and a good manager but they just haven't produced this season. However, we have to work with our group of players and the way we can affect opponents. I see every day as an opportunity to improve our prospects and remain in League Two."

The Verdict

Although early in the season and in Hill's reign as boss, this is a crunch match for The Iron.

Stevenage has faced an equally turbulent campaign so far, between sackings, injuries and mixed results. A victory for either side would be a step towards safety, which may prove crucial come the end of the season.

Scunthorpe face a hectic festive period, with five fixtures before January and the next three coming against lower league opposition. The return of striker Ryan Loft and defender Mason O'Malley will undoubtedly be a boost, as United look to string together some wins and propel themselves up the table.