Preston midfielder Paul Coutts has expressed his surprise at Phil Brown's dismissal from Deepdale.
A run of one win in 11 npower League One games cost Brown his job on Wednesday but, after an number of his team-mates made their disappointment known on Twitter, Coutts told a Thursday press conference that the decision also caught him off guard.
"It's come as a bit of a shock," said Coutts. "It's disappointing to see anyone lose their job, but it's one of these things in football and it's a decision the board's taken.
"
We've just got to get our heads down and try and get a result (against MK Dons) on Saturday."
Having battled his way into favour under Brown last season, Coutts has been one of North End's few shinning lights this term, but he takes little comfort in impressive individual displays in the midst of a tumble down the table.
"
It's gone okay but it's disappointing when we don't pick up points as a team," he added. "
I think in some of the games we've played well enough to take three points and haven't done that, just little mistakes here and there.
"As a whole we should be doing a little better than we have done and obviously it's cost Phil Brown his job, which is disappointing from the players' point of view."