Football Season Guide

Montrose have enjoyed remarkable success over the past three seasons, with that trend continuing last term as they further established themselves in League 1 after a push for the playoffs a year earlier. The manner in which the side is currently being run is excellent, and that is highlighted by the fact that they have managed to keep exactly the same squad over the summer, acting early to tie players down on long-term contracts. That may, however, have placed some additional burden on the finances of the club as they will have been forced to pay players when they returned to training where other teams working on the basis of one-year deals will not. It remains to be seen if this has an impact on Montrose being able to add to their squad as the campaign develops though, with only 27 matches to be played, it may not prove to be that great an issue. Indeed, Montrose already have a comparatively big playing pool for this level. They are a team that has thrived upon making themselves horrible to play against, with the game disjointed and their players physical. There is some silk in the side, too, with Martin Rennie’s return a huge boost ahead of the new season. Montrose are light on scoring options in attack, with Russell McLean the other player who could shine for them. In midfield, meanwhile, they often change around their side on a week-by-week basis. Although lynchpin player Paul Watson has been fielding fears over his fitness for several years, at 34 he remains in good shape, while the same can be said in the defence of Sean Dillon. It is the rearguard that has been key to their success in recent times and there is little reason to think it will be any weaker this season.