TERRY BUTCHER'S regular post-match bon mots have been a rare source of continuity amid a turbulent term for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Be it in results, performances or selection, instability has plagued the Highlanders' season, yet the garrulous Englishman can always be relied on to make mention of fish suppers, Auchterarder and Irn-Bru.
Of equal worth in a game of Butcher Bingo is a reference to defensive disarray, with the manager noting that this victory was founded on the base of a 26th different back four combination of the campaign. Yet within that statistic lies an unarguable truth; securing Inverness's Clydesdale Bank Premier League status for another season is a remarkable achievement.
That Butcher had done so with two games remaining only bolsters the belief that behind the bonhomie and bluster lies a coach of some substance. A glance at his squad list reveals a collection of time-served veterans and talented but unpredictable youngsters, complemented by an assortment of obscure Europeans lured from the lower leagues in England; in short, a relegation waiting to happen. Yet the manager and his assistant Maurice Malpas have cajoled – or perhaps, given their touchline antics, scared – performances of merit from most.
Given their geographical isolation and financial limits, the problem now is how to build on that for next season, particularly with Jonny Hayes among those players likely to depart. The Irish winger offered an eye-catching performance in front of a crowd that included Dougie Freedman, the Crystal Palace manager. Would a move to the Championship appeal?
"I've spoken to the manager but I'm not going to make a decision on my future until after the Hibs game," insisted Hayes. "I think there's been contact from Aberdeen, but the only guy I'm talking to is Terry Butcher. I'm ambitious and I want to push on, but I've had a good sit down with the manager and I'm happy with where he's coming from with regard to next season."
While the scouts might have had their eyes on Hayes, the rest of the spectators were there to herald Hugh Murray. Introduced as a 32nd-minute substitute to make his final home appearance for the club, the 33-year-old midfielder admitted that the emotion of the occasion compromised his performance but that, and the defeat St Mirren suffered, did not seem to matter too much amid the farewells.
The one disappointment was that it halted a run of three wins in five matches but Jim Goodwin refused to be too downhearted. "We've made huge strides this season and I think the fans can see that," said Murray's successor as captain. "We're trying to get the ball down and pass it and it's good to see the progression of the young lads and the courage they have taken the ball into tight areas.
"We've underachieved a wee bit; had we had a better middle part of the season, I've no doubt we'd have made the top half. But the big thing for us was not to be looking over our shoulders all the time and worrying about relegation and we've got rid of that mindset now, so next season we can look to kick on again."
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