Paddy Madden has admitted that Scunthorpe United's defeat at Burton Albion has acted as a real "wake-up call" for the club.
The Irons slipped to a 2-1 reverse at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Despite the disappointing opening-day setback, Madden is hopeful that the result could act as a positive in the long run.
"This result could definitely be a wake-up call for everyone at the club," he told the club's official website. "No one likes to lose games, especially in the circumstances of today, but this could always turn out to be a good thing.
"We seemed to have got into a comfort zone during pre-season and Saturday showed just how difficult this league will be."
Scunthorpe turn attention to their League Cup exploits on Tuesday night when they take on Barnsley.
