Neal Ardley admits Notts County's game with Swindon on Saturday is the biggest in their 157-year history.
The world's oldest football league club, Notts County must win at Swindon and hope Cambridge beat Macclesfield to avoid relegation from the Football League for the first time.
"As big a game as the club has ever had probably," said Ardley, who took charge of the Magpies last November following the early-season sackings of Kevin Nolan and Harry Kewell.
"You try not to think about it like that because that's never going to help you. You're going to go out and try to win a game of football, prepare a team in the best way to go out into a pressurised situation that's not totally in your hands.
"If you think about the history of Notts County and put all of that onto the game, it's going to make it a lot tougher.
"We've got a game of football to win. We obviously know the importance, we don't need to discuss that. We just go, don't have any regrets and give it everything we've got.
"If it's good enough, great, but if the worst does happen it won't be because of Saturday's game."
Although Ardley intends to keep focused on events at the County Ground rather than Macclesfield, he expects the 2000-plus travelling support will keep him updated.
"It would hurt the fans," Ardley said of the prospect of relegation. "It's something they're very proud of - being the oldest league club.
"They've had some rocky times. In 12 of the last 16 years they've been in difficult situations. Eventually, if you're not getting the stability and structure right, you run the risk.
"Good things can come out of adversity eventually. Perhaps with new ownership, new structure, this can be a club that grows going forward."
Regardless of which division Notts County compete in next season, Ardley would like to remain at Meadow Lane.
"I want to be a part of this club, for sure," he said. "From my own point of view, Saturday is my first goal to get over.
"After that, there are new owners potentially coming in so it's pointless [thinking that far ahead]. They might not want me and might not have a plan in action which means I can take it forward.
"No one really knows and it will probably take two or three or weeks after the season for any of that to be known."