Kilmarnock captain Steven Smith says the players cannot concern themselves with the manager's position while they have a huge match coming up.

The Rugby Park side sit bottom of the Premiership table and face Partick Thistle at Firhill on Saturday.

Both clubs have taken three points from their games so far.

Smith said the players had to give their all to secure a positive result and ignore talk about the vacancy and any new boss.

"We've got to trust that the board will appoint the right person and in the right time, whatever that may be," he told STV.

"I think the fact that we've got a massive match at the weekend against Partick Thistle, which all our attention and focus is going on, helps to take our minds off it.

"We know how big this game is so that is all we're concentrating on. We've got to put everything else to the back of our minds and concentrate on this game at the weekend."

A number of experienced managers have been linked with the job, marking a departure from recent appointments, particularly previous boss Lee McCulloch.

Smith said he did not necessarily think inexperience was the reason for the team's recent results but admitted a manager who had been over the course before could boost their chances of turning things around.

"It's difficult to say [what the problem has been recently]," he said. "I know the work that the previous manager put in.

"I know the hours that he put in. I know the feedback that he gave us, the game plans and everything that went with it.

"From the point of view of experience, how do you get your experience? He was assistant manager for two years and everything seemed right when the club appointed him as a manager."

He added: "It was a bit of stability for us players because it was a face and a voice that we had already known.

"With the next manager, from what people are saying, I think the experienced man is the route they're going to go down and for the position that we're in that can only help."