Football Season Guide

Montrose continue to punch above their weight in League One thanks to strong ownership and the stability brought to them by manager Stewart Petrie, who has been at the club since December 2016. Since winning promotion four years ago, they have achieved four top-half finishes and last season had a best of third place, though they faded in the playoffs. The stability in the playing squad is remarkable compared to their rivals. Montrose are excellent at planning ahead and had the majority of their squad for this season tied down in the middle of last term. As such, they have seen only three players depart, including veteran goalkeeper Allan Fleming and right-back Cammy Ballantyne, who was an undisputed starter. Elijah Simpson, meanwhile, will be no loss. Even the sole player they have signed so far, Blair Lyons, was at the squad on loan last season. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old has thrived under Petrie’s management and will be a strong performer at this level. Given this stability, it is surprising that Montrose struggled in the League Cup, losing three of their four matches. However, they also toiled in the competition last season before coming good in the league after a sluggish start. They would accept history repeating itself on this occasion. Montrose will again be leaning on veteran players. Sean Dillon, Paul Watson, Mark Whatley, Michael Gardyne and Ross Campbell, who make up a strong part of the squad, are all well into their 30s. Meanwhile, they cannot expect Graham Webster to be so prolific from midfield this season simply because they were awarded so many penalties last season. Indeed, the question Montrose face at present is: where will their goals come from? Craig Johnston is their best offensive option but is not a high-class player for this standard. It is something that may need remedied.