Kevin Nicholson: Exeter City caretaker manager impressed by players' attitude
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Kevin Nicholson (left) and fellow coach Jon Hill are in temporary charge at Exeter City
Exeter City caretaker manager Kevin Nicholson says the squad has shown a professional attitude since the departure of Matt Taylor.
Taylor left the club this week to take over at Rotherham United after more than four years in charge, taking his assistant Wayne Carlisle with him.
Nicholson, who is a youth coach at City, is in temporary charge alongside counterpart Jon Hill.
"It's a close-knit group," Nicholson told BBC Sport.
"They went through an incredible experience last season and so there's going to be a certain level of emotion and uncertainty and so on.
"But they're also professionals and the lads that have been at Exeter for a while don't know any different.
"There's a fair few lads that haven't been at Exeter the whole time, they've probably experienced this before, whether it's for better or worse.
"They've all got love and respect, and great thanks for what Matt and Wayne have been through with them - but they're all ready for what comes next."
Nicholson and Hill led Exeter to a 2-1 win over Southampton's academy side in the Papa Johns Trophy on Tuesday and will remain in charge for Saturday's trip to Barnsley in League One - something the former Torquay United manager described as "a real honour".
But the 42-year-old would not be drawn on whether he would follow the path trodden by Taylor which saw him progress from Exeter's well-respected academy to the first team.
"I am in a great position, I've been at the football club for three-and-a-half, nearly four years now," he said.
"I know everything there is to know about the academy, I'm quickly learning about a lot of the first-team stuff.
"I've got a relationship with the first-team players and I'm going to use all of that to the best of my ability to get a result at Barnsley."