Even new Scunthorpe manager Alan Knill enjoyed watching a rampant Norwich City side tear his side apart on Saturday.

The Canaries were in expressive mood as they played the Iron off the pitch and Knill, who only left his post at League Two Bury on Thursday to take over at Glanford Park, knows he has a tall order on his hands to keep United in the Championship.

'I've been in one day and the shape that we started with is not a shape I really play with, but the lads thought it was a shape that would do well against Norwich,' said Knill.

'It takes time, it really does. The unfortunate thing is we've only got seven games left. It will take a lot of time and a lot of work and then we'll see, but my idea of coming to Scunthorpe is a long-term one, not a short term.

'Don't get me wrong, I want to stay up, I really do, but I was taking over in a really difficult position. The fixtures you look at and you go 'Wow, I'm not sure if I've made the right decision'!

'But I took that on and I'm happy to take it on. It's funny – it was six, but I quite enjoyed it. I quite enjoyed everything about it. It's just good to be in an arena like this.

'Unfortunately I was watching the opposition's good players, but I'm hopeful that will change.

'We all make decisions in life. I took the decision to leave a really good club, a really good team and good players, and I'll stick with that. I'll give this my best shot and then we'll see.'

Having been involved in a sustained promotion charge with Bury, Knill's targets are a little different now.

Saturday's romp saw the Iron drop to the foot of the Championship table, eight points adrift from safety – but the former Rotherham boss is now expecting a reaction from his players.

'It's the first time as a manager I've lost by six goals – I was praying for a plague of locusts or any sort of help,' joked Knill. 'In every situation you have to learn and I will learn from that and I've just said to the players I am willing to work extremely hard to make them better. But I have to have them with me, so I'm expecting a reaction, I'm expecting a will to work and if we get that there will be no comebacks from me.

'As a player I've been there, but I have found the more you hide and the more you run away from the ball, the more you are going to get beaten.

'I want to be able to get the ball and pass it around the pitch. We all want to do that, but I think the other side, being organised and having a desire to stop goals, is paramount first.

'We were playing against a really good side, but some of the goals were pretty poor goals.'

On Paul Reid's 31st minute red card, Knill added: 'I wasn't sure if it was a straight red, but I can see why. He had no choice but to go for the ball, I think he just caught Holt, Holt goes down so it's a penalty. It's extremely difficult with 10 men against a really good side, but the good thing is I've only got QPR next Saturday!'