Interim Kilmarnock head coach Kris Doolan noted the precarious nature of football management as he looks to bring “stability” to the Rugby Park club.
The former Partick Thistle boss, head of youth development, took over from Stuart Kettlewell who was sacked on Monday along with assistant Stephen Frail after the 2-1 defeat by Aberdeen which left the Ayrshire club 10 games without a win and second bottom of the William Hill Premiership.
Ahead of the home game against Falkirk on Saturday, Doolan said: “It’s never nice in football. I’ve been through it myself.
“We’ve all been through it and good people like Stuart and Stephen Frail lose their jobs.
“I wish them all the best because it’s a tough space to be in but they’re such good people, they’ll move on. They’ll find a new club to go to.
“And I hope that they do find that soon and they can move on shortly because as I say, good people in football, unfortunately, lose their jobs.
“I think a lot’s went against the club if I’m honest.
“It happens at every club; injuries, suspensions, decisions, that’s part and parcel of football, unfortunately, but it does lead to situations like this, I suppose, which is never nice.
“But for me, it’s really about stabilising things.
“That’s my role here just now, just to stabilise things, pick the players up, try to pick the club up, pick up the mood, because when good people move on, there is a bit of a downer so it’s about picking everybody up.
“Football won’t wait. The reality for everybody is that it doesn’t hang about and we get left behind if we’re not ready to come out and play on Saturday.
“We have to try and approach that game with that mindset albeit, it’s not the nicest of circumstances because good people have moved on.”
Asked if he saw this move into interim boss as an opportunity to make his case to get the job, Doolan, whose new charges are three points above bottom side Livingston having played a game more, said: “I won’t look past Falkirk and I won’t allow anybody else to look past Falkirk.
“I’ve been in this situation before. I don’t think in football you can allow your focus to get beyond one game.
“I think when you start thinking or looking beyond that, you lose your focus and you lose that attention to the detail that you need.
“It’s about one game. I was just asked to steady things. The club will do a recruitment for a new manager as they should do, and for me, it’s just picking up the pieces.
“I understand what’s required but for me it’s about Falkirk and Falkirk only.”
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