The long list of high-profile candidates in the frame for the vacant Caley Thistle manager’s job has surprised defender David Raven.
The Highland club’s success under Terry Butcher has led to a frenzy of interest in the post and the 28-year-old is eager to start work with whoever lands the job.
Butcher officially left for Hibs last Tuesday but Raven says little has changed in preparation for the visit of St Johnstone today.
He said: “It has been fine, same as usual, just without the gaffer and Maurice (Malpas) on the training pitch.
“We have kept the same routine, the same sessions, cakes, everything. Duncan Shearer and Scott Kellacher have been taking us and we have worked as hard as ever, with Richie Foran liaising with them.
“We are professional footballers and it is our job. We don’t know who is going to come in and we don’t know if that person will like us as players.
“It is on everyone’s minds. Everyone is fighting for places and everyone needs to show they are good enough to stay at the club.
“I think potential candidates might be here on Saturday. There are all sorts of rumours knocking about, but we the players will probably be last to know.
“Someone suggested to me Derek Adams and I said: ‘I don’t think so’, I am not sure he would come here.”
Raven added: “There are some big names in for it, it seems, I was surprised.
“But there are lots of managers out of work, so I suppose it is only natural.
“The place is on the map now because of what the team has done in the last couple of seasons.
“Two or three years ago, people might have said: ‘Who are they?’ It just shows you what we have done. It seems to have dragged a little, because we have had a couple of weeks with the international break. We just don’t know what is going on upstairs.
“You would not want it to drag on to two or three games without a manager.
“There will come a time when we need someone to make decisions and that is where the manager comes in.
“We can’t just do it all by ourselves for the rest of the season, so sooner, rather than later, is the message I suppose.”