East Kilbride boss Chris Aitken says his players must prove they want to remain at K-Park between now and the end of the season.
Kilby are approaching the home straight of what has been a disappointing Lowland League campaign.
Bonnyrigg Rose are runaway leaders in the division, which means EK will need to wait another year for a potential crack at SPFL football, barring a spectacular collapse from Rose.
EK sit fifth in the table and 13 points off top spot ahead of taking on second-placed Spartans this weekend and Aitken has thrown the gauntlet down to his players: If they want to stay with him, they have to prove it.
He explained: “My challenge to my guys now is them proving to me that they want to be here at the club next season. Go and finish the season really strongly.
“I want to have a nucleus to help me take this club forward. Then I want to have a major attack on the league next season. There’s a lot of things at stake.
“We know how far ahead Bonnyrigg are, and all credit to them as they have had an outstanding season. But we have a lot of things at stake in-house.
“The boys are in a really good place at the minute which is always good to see as a manager. They are playing with a smile on their faces and with belief. That is showing in games.”
Kilby have slipped up to teams below them this term. Vale of Leithen picked up one of their five points against EK last month while 15th-placed Edinburgh Uni have taken four points off them.
Taking on three of the top seven before the end of the season will benefit EK, according to Aitken.
“I think if you look at our results this season, I think it will help us, he said. “When you look at the points we have dropped, with no disrespect to them, it’s team we should be beating.
“That is a mentality thing. When the bigger teams comes, we do always seem to turn up.”
Aitken’s men have also discovered their League Cup fate and face Bo’ness in the South Challenge Cup fifth round.
He added: “I want a major assault on the two cups we are still in. We are looking for a big finish to the season. We have Caledonian Braves, Dalbeattie Star and either Gala Fairydean Rovers or Gretna in the League Cup group stages.
“The fixtures haven’t been decided yet but that will be in the month of March without any league fixtures scheduled in there. So it is all to play for.”
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