'It calls for character': Stuart McCall on Scunthorpe United's trip to Blackpool

The Iron travel to Bloomfield Road on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday, when they let a two-goal slip to suffer their third defeat from their last four fixtures.

It leaves McCall’s men in 15th place in the League One table, two points behind the Seasiders who have two games in hand.

“We saw the good and bad yet again of Scunthorpe United,” McCall said after Saturday’s defeat.

“There’s some free-flowing football at times and we go 2-0 up, but everyone knows Wycombe are going to put it in your box. Akinfenwa is a handful.

“But we can’t keep talking about conceding three goals. It’s another individual error again that has gifted them the game. So it’s really tough to take.

“Even when we went 2-0 up you didn’t see me celebrating because it’s almost if we need three or four to win games.

“I’ve just told the lads, I’m not looking for good passes on Tuesday night or nice play, because of the run we’re on at the moment, giving goals away, it’s about mental character going to Blackpool. It’s a tough place to go without a doubt.

“It’s difficult at the moment but it calls for a bit of character, a bit of gumption.

“Yes we have some nice footballers in there but we need more than that. We need a desire to keep a clean sheet.

“I don’t want to come away from home and play five at the back and sit in, but we’ve let it slip.

“I can’t dwell on it, I can’t mope about it. It comes down to me and the staff but the players have got to cut out the individual errors they’re making. They’re shooting themselves in the foot.

“At the moment there’s a deep sense of despair but come Monday I want characters.

“Football is not always about being nicey-nicey and looking great, it’s about having that stomach for the fight when things are against you.

“When the chips are down, how big’s your heart? That’s what we want to see.”