Mark Matheson's case for the head coaching role

After a turbulent Christmas period that saw Tim Wallace's Panthers tenure come crashing down, Mark Matheson has made an instant impact as interim head coach as he looks to steady the ship. Sunday night's point in Dundee makes it 6 straight games without a regulation loss, which sees the Panthers on their best form of the season. 

The last week and a bit has given fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Positive results have seen the club move up two places in the standings and take a two goal advantage into the second leg of the cup quarters. These wins have come from noticeably sharper performances, giving you a sense that confidence has been restored in the team. 

This could very well be a honeymoon period though, and it's important that the Panthers aren't blinded by that. It's very common in any sport for a change in leadership to spark a temporary mentality change that soon wares off. It's easy to be reactionary, whether that be positively or negatively. I've been guilty of it as a fan, but this decision needs to be made with a level head, as its the most crucial one Guillaume Doucet has had to make yet. 

I don't say this to downplay recent results. It's about being careful and not reactionary. That starts with contextualising the games Matheson has overseen. 

Glasgow came into Friday's encounter on the back of two wins in nine, and Fife are the league's bottom club. Guildford were the toughest test, but currently find themselves on 10 consecutive losses. Winning these games should really be a minimum expectation rather than factors that warrant Matheson being hailed as a miracle worker. 

Matheson has been blessed with a favourable run of fixtures, and I worry that the club saw this as a chance to get the fans on board with what would probably be a cheap appointment. It wouldn't be the first time that someone with minimal prestige has been given the head coaches job at the Panthers. 

Of course, Matheson can only beat what is put in front of him, and he's doing just that, which is all we can ask of him. I am more than happy with what I'm seeing. This piece is just a plea for the club to always have the bigger picture in mind. 

What needs to be remembered is we need to build a team that is better than Sheffield, Belfast or Cardiff's. Under Wallace, we already had a team that could beat the teams outside of that elite bracket. Matheson getting results against these clubs will perhaps warrant a place on the shortlist, starting with next Saturday's game against the Steelers. 

The house of steel is a place that the Panthers have been borderline cursed in over recent seasons, so winning this game would be a huge start in making his case. Add a win or two against a Belfast team who have handed us three straight five goal batterings then my head might start to turn. 

It's important as fans that we demand high standards. Matheson wouldn't be the worst person to take us forward for sure. He's a composed figure both as a player and in the way he speaks and has orchestrated some much more coherent performances that have seen the Panthers look like a team rather than a bunch of individuals. 

But rather than avoiding the worst, we need to strive for the best. It is still clear that there is a struggle to stamp authority on games, and defensive mistakes remain common. 

Regardless of what happens going forward though, the 37 year old is steadying the ship. As it stands, a new coach coming in will be inheriting a squad that is better drilled and is on an upward spiral. If Matheson can maintain that and give the title chasers a run for their money, then maybe that person could be him. 

It's not like a defenceman turned coach hasn't guided us to new heights before...