Oldham Athletic captain Liam Kelly remains focused on the task ahead as he looks to lead the side to the Sky Bet League One play-off places.
After the departure of Lee Johnson as manager on Wednesday, Dean Holden and Adam Lockwood have stepped up to oversee the club for the foreseeable future.
Kelly, who was brought in by Johnson during the summer, believes it was a blow to lose his former manager but admits the players still have the belief that they can achieve their goals this season.
He said: "It's about eight or nine managers I've played under now in a short career but it's something that happens in football. We are all pleased for Lee because we know he wants to achieve things in football. It's a big club but we can't put the tools away now and go into cruise control until the end of the season.
"We are still in with a real shout of achieving something. It's a great group of lads who are highly motivated and our minds are on Saturday. The manager has gone, that's gone now, but we cannot look back and have to look forward and we are looking forward to the challenge."
With 15 games of the season still remaining, Latics sit two points outside the play-off places going into Saturday's game and the captain spoke highly of the morale in the dressing room.
"We have a great group of players in the changing room," Kelly admitted. "I've been at clubs in the past where we haven't had a group as good as this. Not only playing wise but personality wise.
"Dean and Locky are in caretaker charge and they are two liked people in the dressing room so the lads will be playing for them. We want to do well for them and that should be good motivation for us.
"We will be helping them out as it's there first time taking charge of a football club. They are both vastly experienced footballers and they have played at a lot of clubs in their career and achieved things. They will be looking forward to the challenge and we have to look forward now and not look back."
Tomorrow's visitors Preston North End visit SportsDirect.com Park looking for their fifth straight league victory but Kelly explained: "The lads won't really feel the pressure as much because I don't think we've got anything to lose going into this game but at the same time, we have something to achieve.
"We are only two points outside the play-off places and we all know that Preston are a good side. They are a solid team and they have cemented their place in the play-offs now and will be looking to break into the top two.
"They are a hard team to beat, very organised but if we can replicate the way we played against them in the second half of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy then we have a good chance of getting points from the game."
Watch the full interview on Latics Player.