Football Season Guide

Montrose have been one of the steadiest sides in League One now for quite some time. Manager Stewart Petrie has found a foundation that works for his style and has made his team hard to beat, allowing them to punch well above their weight since arriving in the division three seasons ago. True to form, Montrose have not overhauled their squad over the summer months. Indeed, the only players to depart are forwards Russell McLean and Lewis Hawke. McLean, though, was an important player last season as he provided a figurehead in attack and was a valuable outlet in a team that often plays in a direct style. Going into the campaign, it is in attack where Montrose look short. Martin Rennie could fill the void – he has excelled at this level before – but he is coming off a quiet season and there has been little to suggest a turnaround in his fortunes. Blair Lyons is a fine arrival on the wing along with Chris Antoniazzi, who was scarcely used at Forfar last season for an unknown reason. If both these players hit their stride, Montrose will have good players in wide areas. Petrie continues to place a premium on experience in the more defensive areas. Indeed, in a 4-3-3 formation he could field three players all over 30 with the arrival of Mark Whatley. Petrie has been a master of getting this balance right to date and with Lewis Milne and Graham Webster, they do have a couple of players around their peak. The same formula will be used in defence, where left-back Andrew Steeves is the key figure. There is ample choice in the centre-back areas, while Cammy Ballantyne is their outstanding right-back. At the start of each season, there is a fear time might catch up with Montrose, but the turnover of players always seems to balance out just enough to keep them performing to a high standard.