Inverness attacker Billy McKay is confident Caley Thistle can continue to punch above their weight without Terry Butcher.
Caley Jags were comfortable 2-0 winners at Hibernian – the club for which manager Butcher will trade life in the Highlands.
Butcher, who was in the stands on Saturday, will today be announced as Pat Fenlon’s successor at Easter Road, with Inverness assistant Maurice Malpas and goalkeeper coach Steve Marsella joining him in Edinburgh.
Butcher certainly has his work cut out to turn around the Edinburgh men, who were outplayed by Caley Thistle, falling to early goals by Nick Ross and McKay.
The victory moved Caley Thistle to second in the Premiership and Northern Ireland international McKay reckons his team can still finish best of the rest behind Celtic, whoever takes the helm.
He said: “I’m very confident as we’ve got all the players in place to do well this season. Look at how well we played against Hibs, with everything going on, so any new manager who comes in will have a great set of players who can win a lot of games.
“I don’t see why we can’t still be in second at the end of the season. We’re playing well, scoring goals and keeping clean sheets. There’s not much more you can do. It will be strange for a while if Terry does go but we have to get on with it.”
McKay was quick to praise the impact Butcher has had on his career.
He added: “Terry brought me to Inverness and showed a lot of faith in me. That’s especially true of a time at the start when things weren’t going so well. But he played me and gave me a new two-year contract when a lot of people wouldn’t have.
“I think I’ve rewarded him with how I’ve played in the last 18 months.”
Butcher may not have quite left the building but there is already a lengthy queue of candidates being touted as possible replacements. Former Scotland manager Craig Levein, Kenny Shiels, out of work since leaving Kilmarnock, former Dons manager Jimmy Calderwood and former Caley Thistle manager John Robertson are some of the names mentioned.