Tommy Wright has called on Kilmarnock's experienced heads to drag them away from relegation.
The Rugby Park boss says the likes of Gary Dicker, Chris Burke and Kirk Broadfoot are the key to getting them off the bottom of the Premiership table.
And he has urged them to lead by example heading into the final six games with Killie at the foot of the league, starting with today's clash against Motherwell.
He said: “I am looking for them to lead from the front.
"They are all good characters and they are trying to do that. If a younger player gets the chance then it is up to them to step up and take that opportunity but it is a difficult time for them.
"There are 17 of them out of contract so they are playing for their futures.
"Whether that be here or somewhere else it is important that they do everything they can to get a contract.
"Playing well and doing well and keeping Kilmarnock up will help them on that front."
Wright added: “I am there to support them. To pick the team and get the tactics right.
"Hopefully they get the right amount of information but you can sometimes go into overload in this position.
"I am preparing them as I would as if we were going for top six.
"Ultimately, the players now that over a long period of time they haven’t done the basics well enough.
"They are an honest enough group to know that so it is about giving them that support and hopefully they improve enough that they get enough belief to go and win games."
Wright insists that confidence has not faded in the players, but knows they need to show it during a match.
He said: “If you watch us train every day there is not a lack of confidence within the group. The quality of training is good and the quality of a lot of our training has been good.
"We have had the majority of possession in the games we have played except for Rangers away.
"We have dominated teams in areas of the pitch where we want to be to put them under pressure but we have lacked that bit of quality and that bit of composure in the final third.
"Then if you don’t take your chances and you make a mistake at the back then it compounds the problem that you have. Confidence is important.
"I don’t think they are down in confidence but a win would certainly give them more of it."
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