MOFOREVER

Spot on. How many times have I said exactly the same thing. Shouldn't really criticise Managers but in any team you MUST have a player whose only job is to attack the ball and damn well win it! With zonal marking, pushing and shoving there is always going to be one who breaks loose into space and bags one. If one defender attacked the ball instead there would be a much better chance of getting the ball away. Anybody in a dressing room listening? On a bit of a sad note I missed my first league game of the season and we won today which makes me feel like a jinx - should I go to Clyde next week or not??

Don't bother, it's history now and we move on. Whilst mentioning Ross Campbell though how about playing him as an attacking midfielder? He's fit and we are sadly lacking in experience there now Padge has gone. I think Ross could do a job there and provide great on field support and encouragement for the young lads up top - i.e. Lyons and MacBeath who both loooked OK at Forfar but seriously lacked an experienced head behind them. Just a though maybe worth trying in the present circumstances especially if Masson is out for another game or even if he isn't.

Montrose had much the better of possession in the first half right up to the injury to Andy Jackson just before half time. But you don't win games if you don't score goals. Forfar were better after the lengthy injury interruption and deserved the win in the end. It's taking a long time for the present Montrose side to gell but there were signs in the first half that once those young lads up front gell things might get better and we really need a fit Masson back in midfield. Need to ship a couple out on loan though me thinks. More importantly now we at Montrose wish Andy Jackson, Jim Weir and Barry Sellars a speedy and full recovery after their unfortunate accidents.

Mo must go all out for the points in this game. No sitting back - go for it 'cos there's gonna be no easy points this season. If Hilson is out then it's a plus for us but need to watch big Travis at the back with set pieces. Apart from that it's what we do and in that respect we have to look like we have more of a threat going forward. We have to score 'cos clean sheets aren't our thing.

For Montrose fans who don't manage to get to Links Park much e.g. exiles, please note that a new book has recently been published and is available from Montrose FC. If you have any difficulty, just let me know on here. The book is ' More of the Journey so far ... ' and is 472 pages, A4 size (with coil binding so it stays open). It covers every result from formation in 1879 to the end of the 2018/9 season including 100's of friendly results from before Montrose joined a league set-up in 1891. There are also a few results from before 1879 as there was a MFC before that albeit not one which conformed with SFA rules - Ok, some might say we still don't! Also included are team squad details from 1879, Club Officials, results of every league and cup competition played in, loads of statistics, reserve team results and loads of other 'anorack' style stuff. All of it Season by Season and also Opponent by Opponent. Cost is £15 to Montrose Season Ticket holders and Supporters Club members, £20 to everybody else. It'll cost about £3 to post out Second Class because it is a weighty thing.

The other one from Ross County, maybe we just call him 'Shakespeare' for short!

OK, so for those of us reporting or doing stuff in here, from now on can we agree it's CB1 and CB2 or is is gonna be Cammy 1 and Cammy 2?

We never looked like getting anything out of the Thistle game even after going one down within the first couple of minutes. We just can't seem to control a game even for short periods. We have injury problems but midfield is now a problem area and that's the engine room of any team. Work to be done by SP yet but if we have a couple of new guys coming in we could do with shipping a couple out on loan as we have strikers who just aren't striking for us at present.

After saying I thought we played OK in the two previous games that wasn't the case against Dumbarton and we must be brutally honest about it even if it hurts. OK injuries to key players have cost us but we still have a decent squad. Certain players out there against Dumbarton however are struggling to be up to scratch at League 1 level and I don't need to name names. There is another problem however as I see it and if it isn't addressed then we will have problems even when our best eleven are on the park. We know we have scoring problems and SP tried to throw more men forward against Dumbarton, credit to him for that BUT we didn't win individual battles anywhere on the pitch. That's not good enough. Look at a couple of examples (apart from giving up midfield). As a team we never attacked the ball from set pieces. We had several corners and not one did we win on delivery although I admit some deliveries were poor, but not all. Then look at the defence today where we had lads just as big as theirs yet they won enough in the air to win the game. THE PROBLEM IS WE ARE NOT DETAILING A MAN TO ATTACK THE BALL ! All well and good this zonal marking thing BUT somebody has to not be marking a man but his job has to be to attack the ball and get it away. We weren't doing that and paid the price. The goalie should command his 6 yard box but a defender must attack the cross elsewhere in the box - Kerr Waddell is a big lad and good in the air so I suggest he's the one who should be the one to do it. If we don't do that we will continue to pay the price. So yes we have problems up front which will take time to remedy but the problems we had at the back yesterday must be remedied NOW.

I thought we played quite well at both Raith and Falkirk but undid ourselves late in each game. The Raith game particularly we missed several key players through injury/illness but SP did his best to re-group and play it tight. Fair does but we have to see it through for the full 90 minutes, obviously. We missed Steeves particularly and without being unkind I don't think we would have conceded those 3 late goals if he had been there. Without Masson and Watson we were light weight in midfield and although Cregg did his best he can't do it on his own. He had Cammy alongside in the first 65 minutes and we competed in that area but as soon as he went to right back with Matty coming off that's when our resistance collapsed and we gave up midfield to go for a defended point. If you were at the game you could see there was no doubt about that. I can see why the change was made and fair enough but we have to look at the reasons why 3 late goals were conceded. There was one other prime reason as well but I'm not going into that (but it wasn't anything to do with Seagull). Turning to this Saturday I hope Masson is fit and back. Watson won't be nor will Steeves but I'd leave Cammy in midfield and go for it. We have to beat Dumbarton and we're not going to do that just by defending. They are vulnerable at the back but have a key striker. I'd go with three strikers with Lyons, Skelly and one other either Ross Campbell or Rennie. Backed up by Ballantyne, Masson and Cregg in behind I think we can score goals and defend as well. We have to sort out our threat up front and this is the game where we have to give it a b----y good go! Get yourseles there and get behind the lads.

Just to set the record straight we've met Partick Thistle 15 times in competitive games- all league games, We won 3, 3 were drawn and Thistle won 9. We scored 13, they scored 27. We also played a friendly at LP on 26th March 2003 and Thistle won 4-0. The only other times we've played each other were in a friendly at Links Park for the first time ever on 3rd January 1890 as part of our well established New Year celebrations and we lost 1-4. Again they were our New Year guests at LP on 2nd Jan 1894 and drew 2-2. Back then there was also a team called Glasgow Thistle but they were nothing to do with Partick Thistle who were founded in 1876.

Decent wee statistic for you all. The draw against Partick Thistle means we will then have played all 41 other current SPFL clubs in some sort of cup competition. Yes, Thistle are the last and will complete the set.

A decent enough draw for the Mo in a competition which doesn't set the heather on fire. The very good thing about it is that Partick Thistle are the only ones of the current SPFL clubs the Mo have never played in any sort of Cup competition so 7/Sept will be a mini-momentous occasion. Ok maybe not like landing a man on the moon but a decent wee stat eh?

Haven't seen the full highlights yet but we have to accept the penalty decision Airdrie got. Dillon did put a hand on the lads shoulder and it did continue into the box. By the way Mo fans it's not the first time Dillon has given away a silly penalty for pushing/nudging in the box - maybe he's losing his 'professional' touch? Having accepted the Airdrie penalty what still niggles with me is that I thought we had two reasonable penalty shouts in the second half. Firstly when Steeves careered his way into the box and was upended. Most L1 refs would have given that. Secondly on the 90 minute mark when Milne I think it was was brought down in full flow and the ref gave a free kick right on the 18 yard line. Again that incident carried on into the box - what's the difference? Most L1 refs, such as Craig Napier would have pointed straight to the spot, but not Mr Dickenson. No probs with Airdrie getting a lucky break and three points but all afternoon I just had the feeling the Mo were fighting against the tide with even 50/50's not going their way - it happens and we move on.

I agree. With Matty still gaining strength after a long injury and Yano now injured, another centre-back was essential. Dillo as said is age 35 and will continue playing until Matty is back to a full head of steam, Yano is back and Waddell is match fit. My guess is Waddell will be eased into the side either as a second half sub or more likely right in at the deep end against Forfar and Brechin. I know we have the 'carrot' of making progress in the League Cup if we beat Forfar and Brechin but for me the priority is still L1 and our aim should be to have all in order for the Stranraer game on 3rd August which I think is a must win game. Need to get points on the board early doors again this season and avoid playing catch up. I've been critical before about our pre-season but I'm happy to be wide of the mark and trust SP's judgement.

Anyway, match over so all the best to both teams for the coming season. No probs with wishing the Smokies well in the Championship to fly the flag for Angus. I'm sure many of them wish us well in L1 this season. A bit different from couple of seasons ago we were within minutes of disappearing through the trapdoor. Onwards and upwards.

Above are all fair comments but you have to admit Cove look more prepared at this stage for L2 than we do for L1 with only one more pre-season game to go. After that it will be two very tough games against Premiership opposition in the Betfred Cup so more experimentation might not make for good viewing for Mo fans. We are certainly lacking up top again but SP had to give game time to McLean and Skelly whilst he can. On present showing McLean won't be starting a competitive game, he's got a lot to do. Did you notice he only started to get stuck in at Cove after he was brutally fouled twice and lost his rag momentarily when the Referee waived him away? For the Arbroath and Betfred games I'd like to see SP starting with his preferred eleven and only using subs as and when as in normal league games. We have to get some fluency going through the side and supplement our failings up top by supporting from midfield. Definitely a back three of Dillon, Allan and Yano with Steeves and Cammy wing backs. Definitely Masson, Padge and Winker in the middle. Lyons and Ross Campbell up top. Yes, I know there might b e moans about Ross coming back in, but who else can play his game and he will help Lyons more than either McLean or Rennie. Shame to leave Webby out but he's good to bring off the bench in a variety of positions. Milne not in my team only because he's been playing far too deep and inefffective there. Put him more in a striking role or in the hole behind where he was more effective first time he was here. Don't expect I'll be right but after watching the first two games that's what I'd do. As a final throw away line - how about playing Steeves centre forward?? Remember Brian Third in the 1970's? He was converted from a left back to a centre forward and got 33 goals in his first full season. Steevesy worth a punt there? Just a thought, even in a game like yesterday late on when we were playing catch up.

Can't logically disagree with many of the above comments and wouldn't even try to. BUT, a matchday programme is something which becomes a historical item which, over the years records many facts which might otherwise be lost forever. Yes, a programme is not for everybody I accept that and I'm in the minority as a collector for my club but I'd make two what I call important points. Firstly it doesn't need to be an expensive flash production. Great if it is but It could be something fairly simple and collectable . Secondly the cost has to be kept down and preferably to £2 or less. Even for friendly games a single A4 sheet of paper could be used folded into a 4 page A5 size, After all a teamsheet is usually produced for every game and that's A4 size so why not just fold it into A5 size, put a front cover on it and the fixture list or simiilar on the back cover with the teamsheet in the centre pages - charge a quid for it and would that make a loss?? Even for league games I'd rather have a simple 4 page effort than nowt at all. I accept it's probably a losing battle though - even Ross County didn't issue a programme for our Cup game there a couple of years ago - back there this season for another cup game - bet they do the same.

There's only one proper Cammy and he's back at the MO. On yesterday clearly both sides were under strength due to holidays etc. as happens with part-time players/families. Terry Masson, Dillo, Yano to name just three and CJ will be out for a good while yet after his operation shortly. Formartine also a few short such as Jonny Crawford. We looked a bit rusty but that's why we play pre-season friendlies. SP will have noticed like we all did that there were far too many stray passes and a lack of sharpness and I'll be worried if most of that is still there when we come to the Betfred Cup games. On the positive side Padge had a great game in midfield and that area will be better when Masson and Watson are alongside him. Watson is only a stand in centre back (hopefully) and we need him in midfield. Milne I like in the hole behind the strikers and the star of the day was Blair Lyons who started a bit nervously (stepping up a few levels) but as the game wore on he showed what a player he is. We've longed for a player with technical ability up front to take players on and he does that. Mclean and Rennie still a lot to do but with Lyons alongside and Milne in behind I think they will get chances. Last word for Matty, really pleased he got through the full 90 minutes, a great lad and if he stays fit will be like a new signing. See you at Cove next week - must look to smooth things out a bit more there before we bring on the Smokies.

Of course we could. Might even use Rennie, CJ or Skelly, you never know! Not all at once mind.

Still a bit short at centre back unless I've missed something whilst away. Lack of height particularly and still with a ? over the fitness of Matty. I really hope Matty is fit, he's a great lad and would be a big miss if his injury persists any longer. Looking forward to the Formartine game on Saturday - hope we take it seriously even if we do use most of the squad over the 90 minutes. We need to hit the ground running even in pre-season. Maybe see a couple of trialists ?? Even a loan signing ??

I for one would seriously hope it isn't segregated. If it isn't then it's up to us fans to make sure everything happens in an orderly fashion and there is no aggro inside or outside the stadium. It only takes one idiot from either side unfortunately. For more meaningful games though I'd also like to see an experiment without segregation but frankly I think that's unlikely and we have to be guided by Police advice I guess. Meanwhile lets hope for a successful season ahead for both our clubs. Wish we were taking on the Dundee sides - we ain't even lucky enough to get one in the mickey mouse cup! What do we get? Another trip up to Dingwall, Saints at home again and our country cousins from Forfar and Brechin again - no disrespect meant or intended.

First pre season friendly is Cove away on sat 6th July. Really hope we get Ross County at home in the cup so that we get St.Johnstone away, that would be a decent away day to start off the season. So nothing new on the agenda this season then. Oh well, up to Cove again, maybe a weekend up Dingwall way, probably the St. J game but with two more games in Angus within a couple more days I might well have to be sensible for a change - that could mean anything!!

Looking forward to pre-season friendlies being announced. Hope for a Highland League side I haven't been to yet and I could do with a couple of days away up there AND IN SUMMER, not the middle of winter as usual. Might be away at Dingwall in the Cup but that's not what I mean, been there, done that and don't particularly relish that yet again. Hope we get them at home this time and St, J away for a change.

Sorry to see Jim Butter going but don't know the reason. I might be wrong but when Jim came we saw a great improvement in Fleming such as coming off his line more and commanding his area more. Might be a coincidence of course, either way I hope Flem keeps going that way. At present I'm not unduly concerned about our attacking threat (never thought I'd say that!) as we have Blair Lyons coming in, Martin Rennie will get better having got a full L1 season behind him and surely we've yet to see the best of Russell McLean - and he has to step up to the plate pre-season. Sure Ross Campbell ain't finished yet either. Remember we also have CJ coming back in. Having said that, I wouldn't object to an older head street -wise type of striker coming in but with four strikers on the books they can't all get in the starting eleven so who gives way? Priority for me is at centre back. We've lost Bolo, Matty Allan still has a bad knee and whilst I'm pleased he's signed on again we can't rely on him to be 100% fit from the off. Also Dillon showed signs of age towards the end of the season, firstly moving to right back and secondly made a couple of howler mistakes - like at QoS. Good we still have him and Yano but not in my opinion a robust back line to start next tough season with. Midfield we have Masson as an effective free roaming attacker and he is invaluable in that role. We also have Watson, Webster, Redman, Callaghan and Cregg so again someone has to give way if we are to get somebody else in. You could say that if we more or less stick with what we have then we'll do well to have as good a season as the last one, and you'd have a point. SP will know what he wants but might not get what he wants. Meantime he is getting a squad together and he will make his move when the time is right but it might be with last minute loan signings. Anyway that's how I see it, but might be wrong.