Scunthorpe United midfielder Gary McSheffrey has confessed that his side must "sharpen up" at both ends of the field if they are to climb away from the relegation zone.

The Iron have won just two of their opening eight League One fixtures, scoring seven goals in the process.

Following the weekend defeat to Rochdale United, McSheffrey was quick to acknowledge that improvement is needed if Scunthorpe are to have any hope of turning narrow defeats into positive results.

"On another day we could have scored four, but we can't keep saying could have and should have," he told the club's official website. "The interviews after the game have got to be positive.

"But we want to be talking about the goals we've scored, not the 'what if's' and the chances we had. It would be a huge concern if we weren't creating anything, but we have been. We've just got to sharpen up in both boxes."

Next up for Scunthorpe, who have also suffered first-round cup exits so far this term, is a trip to face Southend United.