Club owner Steve Morgan and chief executive Jez Moxey are today continuing their search for McCarthy's successor with Reading's Brian McDermott among their leading targets.

But it is Connor who must work with the current squad as they prepare for Saturday's clash at Newcastle following the 5-1 home defeat by West Brom nine days ago which sealed McCarthy's fate.

Connor said: "The lads went away at the weekend and I asked them to reflect on what had happened and then come back yesterday with it being business as usual whoever was in charge of training.

"You can bet your life that we'll be under the microscope and everyone will be looking at us and wondering how we are going to respond.

"We're asking the players to respond positively, like they always have done at bad times, and come back ready for another fight.

"You take a hit like we have last week and it's all about how you respond to that and how you respond to people writing you off.

"We've got to knuckle down and prove people wrong and hopefully we'll get a chance on Saturday to do that."

Connor admitted: "It was strange for us all last week not having the boss (McCarthy) around.

"But we are all professionals and are all hurting in our own way. We have to show that professionalism in times of hardship and the players know they have got to knuckle down."

McDermott has steered Reading into third spot in the npower Championship but reports that Wolves have already spoken to the 50-year-old are wide of the mark.