Terry Butcher has become such a prominent feature of the Highlands that Inverness Caledonian Thistle's manager might soon be classed as a Munro.
That is, if he is not drawn towards the bigger talking point on the horizon; the Englishman having been made favourite to succeed Pat Fenlon as the next manager of Hibernian.
It is an issue which loomed large on Saturday, imposing on the visit of Kilmarnock to such an extent that the match was played in its shadow. Goals from Aaron Doran and Graeme Shinnie offered brief interruptions but the main discourse continued to be about the likelihood of Butcher making for Edinburgh this week. Rod Petrie, the Hibs' chairman, refused to comment on the speculation, although one Inverness director was a little less restrained. "He loves life here in the Highlands and he'd never leave for a club like Hibs," he said.
That Butcher is settled at the club is clear enough, since he is working with a team of his own making and one which will allow him the chance to reach a major final later this term. That would be a landmark moment for Inverness but a point of personal satisfaction, too, since the manager has signed the majority of the players at the Highland club. One of them is Gary Warren, whose central defensive partnership with Josh Meekings, is as dependable and stoic as it is impressive.
The Englishman has been one of the success stories of Butcher's scouting policy, a defender unearthed from the depths of England's lower leagues, in his case Newport County. Both he and Meekings, formerly a trainee with Ipswich Town, rendered Kris Boyd and Michael Gardyne impotent on Saturday and voided Kilmarnock's ambition of earning a third successive victory. All the Ayrshire side would muster at the weekend was a consolation goal from Darren Barr.
The win allowed Inverness to settle a little then, although the prospect of Butcher absconding to Edinburgh was still enough to unsettle Warren. "The gaffer has been linked with a few jobs which is no surprise as he has done an unbelievable job here," said the defender. "He has taken us to where we are now and knowing the way he is he will want to take us to a cup final.
"It would be gutting if he did go as he is the guy who keeps us going and keeps us all on our toes at the club. He likes it up in Inverness and at the club so I think he will stay here. Nobody gives him any stick when he is linked with jobs as he would give us a clip around the ear."
Butcher was similarly robust in defending his side against allegations of being overly physical. Those came after a fracas in the midweek victory over Dundee United and on Saturday Sean Clohessy raised the issue once more after limping towards the media and criticising Carl Tremarco, who had been booked late in the game for a vicious tackle on the Kilmarnock full-back.
"I wasn't happy about that," said Clohessy. "He could have broken my leg. I can't believe the referee [Steven McLean] didn't deal with it more severely. Tremarco was waiting for tackles and trying to hit people - I've played against him before when I was at Southend United and he was at Macclesfield. He waits for you and he tries to kick you. If he breaks your leg you could be out for a year. Tackles like that need to be looked at."
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