The first months of the season have left Inverness Caledonian Thistle sitting pretty.
Second place in the SPFL Premiership, a Scottish League Cup semi-final and a team capable of maintaining that early form does not look too shabby, either. The Highland club is able to act aloof as suitors come forward to ask about the vacant manager's position.
For all that Inverness have looked the part this term, a man in charge is the one thing missing since Terry Butcher agreed to move to Hibernian earlier this month. Not that the first team have been acting as though they have noticed - a league game with St Johnstone this afternoon being treated like any other. It is a habit which extends right down to the tray-bakes shared among the players.
The club's situation remains unusual since Butcher left behind a side which has impressed once again this season, albeit their last match against St Johnstone ended in a 4-0 loss. Contentment with their lot has allowed Inverness to take time assessing potential new managers - a shortlist was drawn up on Thursday, with Kenny Shiels thought to be somewhere near the top - and it is possible that a few interested parties will be present at the Caledonian Stadium today.
That, though, is only a further incentive for Inverness to maintain their lofty standards. "I have been in places where managers have been sacked before, but never where a manager has left because he is doing well," said David Raven, the Inverness defender. "Usually, after a couple of days, a new manager comes in but this has dragged a little longer. It's different. I'd think potential candidates might be here to watch on Saturday. I don't see why not.
"When the new manager comes in places are suddenly up for grabs again and if the manager doesn't fancy you, you know what will happen. Everyone has to stay right on the ball and keep the club rolling as it is at the moment."
There have been efforts to do that this week. Coaches Duncan Shearer and Scott Kellacher have overseen training, while words of encouragement have come from captain Richie Foran. The squad has effectively run itself in the lead up to today's fixture, with no issues arising.
"It's been fine, same as usual - just without the gaffer and [Maurice Malpas, Butcher's assistant] on the training pitch," Raven added. "We've kept everything: the same routine, the same sessions, cakes, everything. Duncan Shearer and Scott Kellacher have been taking us and we have worked hard as ever, with Richie liaising with them. I don't see why we can't do it ourselves in the short-term. We know what we have to do."
So does Tam Scobbie. The full-back was redeployed in central defence for St Johnstone after Frazer Wright was given a suspension and Steven Anderson suffered an injury and has grown comfortable in the role. So much so that both Wright and Bosnia internationalist Sanel Jahic have since been unable to displace him.
Scobbie had sat out in October when St Johnstone inflicted that 4-0 win over Inverness, so he is eager to enjoy a similarly comfortable experience this afternoon. The defender does not expect to gain any advantage from the speculation around the vacant manager's post in the Highlands, though.
"It'll probably be a who's who of managers in the back row of the stand just to see if they've got an opportunity," said Scobbie. "There will be some good candidates for the job but I'm sure they are a very focused side and they'll have guys in there who will just follow on from what Terry and Maurice have been doing up there.
"I'm not sure if not having a manager will have a psychological effect on them. They might have a manager ready to be in place after this game so in case he's watching they'll want to go out and do well and make sure they are in the team next week.
"They've been doing really well, they are sitting in the top six of the table quite comfortably so we know it's going to be hard. The last time we faced them we won 4-0 so they are going to see this as a big opportunity to try and get one back on us. It's a challenge we've got to stand up to."
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