Mighty Montrose FC Thread

[The Toun Clock]

1 minute ago, endieinreekie said:

Why yes, it's Gayfield Park, Arbroath. 

Probably more chance of that happening tbh. I believe Sir Stewart of Petrie has a job he enjoys outside of football so going full time might not be his thing, for now anyway. Wouldn't be surprised to see him top the bookies list as a favourite but don't think he'll leave you guys just now. Got a good thing going with you! Well done on reaching the playoffs!

[mo83]

2 hours ago, JFPar said:

What's your address? We've got a click and collect booked

Paul Hegarty is the man you are looking for he is also out of work far better appointment.

[Rob1885]

Paul Hegarty is the man you are looking for he is also out of work far better appointment.

Been at the club before. No thanks.

[Brummo]

3 hours ago, The Gable Endie said:

I wonder if they will raid some teams in league 1 now as they have heaps of money and the appeal of full-time football. Hopefully they haven’t offered Cammy Ballantyne or Rusty a contract so we are not competing with them for the services for next season.

I had heard another full time club in the division was after Cammy.

I hadn't thought of Queen's Park hoovering up other clubs' talent. Having spent the better part of a century and longer being a sporting anachronism, I never for a moment expected the "pipe-smoking gentleman amateurs*" to emerge as a Glasgow southside footballing powerhouse. As with all vanity projects, I find it difficult to get excited about this development.

(* Steeplejack a.k.a. Ivo den Biemen c. 2000)

[Scorge]

9 hours ago, JFPar said:

What's your address? We've got a click and collect booked

Delivery subject to payment and T&C's being fulfilled!

Slightly surprised Crawford jumped/pushed to be honest. If SP goes my soul is prepared, but as said several times for reasons already known, the offer will have to be pretty good to get him. 

[Brummo]

 A lot of chatter on the Championship threads about SP re. the manager vacancy at Dunfermline.

From a Mo fan perspective, I would understand why he would go and I don't think I would grudge him the opportunity, but I don't think he should. Here is why...

1) His target of making Montrose the best team in Angus has not been met. There is clearly more mileage to be done on this. Leaving now, job half done is possibly not the best start to a new gig elsewhere.

2) The level of expectation at Dunfermline will be very high, probably unrealistically so. Yes, if he takes them up to the Premier League he will be even more of a legend but if expectations are not met, football can be brutal.

3) Due to the results based nature of football management, it is not unlikely that the vacancy at the Pars will come round again. SP is not so old that if he bides his time, continuing to build up his reputation with the Mo, he will still be within the "Best before" date when the opportunity knocks once again.

4) Would SP prefer to manage Dunfermline in the Championship or the Premier League? Arguably, keeping them in the Premier League is less of a challenge than getting them promoted and then being expected to achieve success in the top flight. If he could steer the Mo into the Championship and compete there, managing a Premier League team would still be a big step up from managing a Part Time team but if Dunfermline were struggling, SP has previous in turning a team's fortunes around. I believe football also tends to be more forgiving of a manager that gives a struggling team his best shot and doesn't keep them up, often giving them a grace period to try to bounce back, than a manager who achieves success but cannot sustain it for whatever reason.

I would not be shocked if SP chose to leave the Mo but I would be very disappointed. SP has spoken about players' loyalty and commitment to the club as something to be valued and appreciated. What has been achieved so far at Montrose by the whole club, of which SP is a key component, has been the envy of many in Scottish football. I dare say Montrose FC would survive his departure but to me at least, it feel like a spanner would have just been thrown in the works of a machine that up till now has been running smoothly. Football is brutal and can be cut-throat but on and off the park, the Mo have got a good thing going on, so why throw that away for a shot at the big time, when that can safely be left on the back burner, till the time is even more ripe?

Stewart Petrie: do the right thing!

[Shandon Par]

2 hours ago, Brummo said:

 A lot of chatter on the Championship threads about SP re. the manager vacancy at Dunfermline.

From a Mo fan perspective, I would understand why he would go and I don't think I would grudge him the opportunity, but I don't think he should. Here is why...

1) His target of making Montrose the best team in Angus has not been met. There is clearly more mileage to be done on this. Leaving now, job half done is possibly not the best start to a new gig elsewhere.

2) The level of expectation at Dunfermline will be very high, probably unrealistically so. Yes, if he takes them up to the Premier League he will be even more of a legend but if expectations are not met, football can be brutal.

3) Due to the results based nature of football management, it is not unlikely that the vacancy at the Pars will come round again. SP is not so old that if he bides his time, continuing to build up his reputation with the Mo, he will still be within the "Best before" date when the opportunity knocks once again.

4) Would SP prefer to manage Dunfermline in the Championship or the Premier League? Arguably, keeping them in the Premier League is less of a challenge than getting them promoted and then being expected to achieve success in the top flight. If he could steer the Mo into the Championship and compete there, managing a Premier League team would still be a big step up from managing a Part Time team but if Dunfermline were struggling, SP has previous in turning a team's fortunes around. I believe football also tends to be more forgiving of a manager that gives a struggling team his best shot and doesn't keep them up, often giving them a grace period to try to bounce back, than a manager who achieves success but cannot sustain it for whatever reason.

I would not be shocked if SP chose to leave the Mo but I would be very disappointed. SP has spoken about players' loyalty and commitment to the club as something to be valued and appreciated. What has been achieved so far at Montrose by the whole club, of which SP is a key component, has been the envy of many in Scottish football. I dare say Montrose FC would survive his departure but to me at least, it feel like a spanner would have just been thrown in the works of a machine that up till now has been running smoothly. Football is brutal and can be cut-throat but on and off the park, the Mo have got a good thing going on, so why throw that away for a shot at the big time, when that can safely be left on the back burner, till the time is even more ripe?

Stewart Petrie: do the right thing!

Good points, well made but..

Given where Petrie has taken you, you’re probably able to attract a decent calibre of manager. They’re not coming in to a club in distress.

Dunfermline were bought buy a group of German investors recently and they decided to take a back seat during the pandemic and leave everything in the capable hands of the existing administration. However, they’re likely to start announcing plans soon (eg academy, investments) and whilst the manager position is likely to come up regularly as you say, the chance to be in at the start of the rebuilding process isn’t. There’s also the chance of a decent chunk of money coming in for Kevin Nisbet and though we won’t be title favourites we may be in a position to be a bit closer to the top next season.

 

[Stellaboz]

I think he's so closely linked due to his history here at Dunfermline. If he wasn't, I don't know if he'd be so much on the radar, so to speak. 

[Gordon EF]

9 hours ago, Brummo said:

 A lot of chatter on the Championship threads about SP re. the manager vacancy at Dunfermline.

From a Mo fan perspective, I would understand why he would go and I don't think I would grudge him the opportunity, but I don't think he should. Here is why...

1) His target of making Montrose the best team in Angus has not been met. There is clearly more mileage to be done on this. Leaving now, job half done is possibly not the best start to a new gig elsewhere.

2) The level of expectation at Dunfermline will be very high, probably unrealistically so. Yes, if he takes them up to the Premier League he will be even more of a legend but if expectations are not met, football can be brutal.

3) Due to the results based nature of football management, it is not unlikely that the vacancy at the Pars will come round again. SP is not so old that if he bides his time, continuing to build up his reputation with the Mo, he will still be within the "Best before" date when the opportunity knocks once again.

4) Would SP prefer to manage Dunfermline in the Championship or the Premier League?

Appreciate Mo fans will be desperate to hang on to Petrie but I'm not sure many of these will inform any decision he has to make to be honest.

1) That's an accolade nobody outside of Montrose cares about. He'd already have done it if Abroath had had a couple of crap seasons.

2) That's going to be the case for almost any bigger job he takes on. Sooner or later, expectations rise.

3) Maybe, but he's one poor season away from seeing his currently sky high stock dropping to the point where he might not be in the running any more. You guys lose a couple of key players, can't replace them and finish 8th in a tough L1 next season and Petrie might never be in the running for these types of jobs again.

4) Basically see point 3). Petrie can only better his current reputation by getting Montrose promoted, which will be very difficult. Even getting top 4 again next season will be a difficult task. Reputation in football management is brutal. One bad season will significantly tarnish a lot of the fantastic work Petrie's done at Links Park. If Stewart Petrie is serious about making the step on to full time management and going further in the game (he might not want that), I think he could regret not taking the chance at Dunfermline when it's there.

Edited May 20, 2021 by Gordon EF

[broomiesniper]

2 hours ago, Gordon EF said:

 

3) Maybe, but he's one poor season away from seeing his currently sky high stock dropping to the point where he might not be in the running any more. You guys lose a couple of key players, can't replace them and finish 8th in a tough L1 next season and Petrie might never be in the running for these types of jobs 

8th place is always the target of Petrie and anything else is a bonus. I’m sure for a few seasons the board are happy to accept that as the club establishes itself in League 1. I realise the contradicts the attempts to become the top team in Angus but that is a couple of big signings and a couple of seasons away at the moment. We will just enjoy the ride for now, after so many seasons in the doldrums it’s a good time to be a Mo fan 

Edited May 20, 2021 by broomiesniper

[Gordon EF]

8 minutes ago, broomiesniper said:

8th place is always the target of Petrie and anything else is a bonus. I’m sure for a few seasons the board are happy to accept that as the club establishes itself in League 1. I realise the contradicts the attempts to become the top team in Angus but that is a couple of big signings and a couple of seasons away at the moment. We will just enjoy the ride for now, after so many seasons in the doldrums it’s a good time to be a Mo fan 

I'm not saying that would be a failure. Just that it would drop Petrie's stock as a manager from it's currently very high level.

[broomiesniper]

14 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

I'm not saying that would be a failure. Just that it would drop Petrie's stock as a manager from it's currently very high level.

All the better for us

[Brummo]

After the frenetic finish to last season, close season seems particularly devoid of excitement. Yet even amidst this dearth of footballing news, the announcement of the reinstated rebranded "SPFL Trust Trophy" seems even more underwhelming than usual.

 

[IR1970]

Montrose sign Blair Lyons on loan from Thistle..option to be called back in January 

[The Gable Endie]

Brilliant signing for us, adds another winger to the squad which is what we’ve been needing I think. It means we don’t over rely on Webby as much.

[Judge]

Superb to have Blair back at the club.

[Angus of the Mo]

Great news about Blair

[Aidan]

Well that's me fully erect

[MOFOREVER]

I'm sure SP and Co will get him back up to his true potential again. He's such a talent that sitting a season out on the subs bench won't have done him any good at all but it's hard to turn down the opportunity he had at Thistle and at least he'll get regular pitch time at the Mo again whilst still being full-time because of his Thistle registration. Thistle I think will do well in the Championship and it was easy to see why young Blair found it hard to get into the starting eleven so this loan I think will be good for both clubs and the lad himself.

There's no easy answer but I just hope Cammy F, Chris Mochrie and Harry Cochrane don't end up warming a bench somewhere next season. I wish all of them every success even if it's not with the Mo BUT they must have pitch time somewhere if they are to develop their careers properly. That probably applies to several other young Scots lads nationwide as well and as a nation we must fully exploit and develop such talent and the loan market can and is doing that in some cases.

[mo83]

Absolutely delighted to get Blair Lyons back on loan, excellent signing for the club along with Mark Whatley 2 really good additions to the squad. If we can get Cammy to sign again that would be brilliant and the last piece in the jigsaw for me.Big rusty if he signs then fair enough but if he doesn't not overly fussed.