Montrose’s Mr Versatile, Garry Wood, is looking to help the Gable Endies bounce back from a disappointing couple of weeks when they host promotion seeking Clyde tomorrow.
The Links Park side lost 3-0 to Elgin and 4-0 to Peterhead earlier this month to end their interest in the Play-Offs with manager Stuart Garden parting company with them ahead of last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Queen’s Park.
Assistant manager George Shields has taken over just now and former Elgin City, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County player Wood said: “You could say last week was a surprising one and it is never good to see a manager leave but that is the way that football happens. Managers come and go and we now have to make sure that we look to the future.”
“Whoever comes in will want a winning team and we have to try and get that right as soon as we can. I signed up for next season so I will be working with the new manager whenever they are appointed and I am sure they will want us to see this season out strongly.”
The Angus side presently sit in eighth place some 11 points behind Saturday’s Bully Wee opponents and 17 ahead of bottom of the table Queen’s Park.
There is a feeling of what might have been in the air with Wood saying: “Obviously at the start of the season we had a look at the league and we felt that there was not much between the teams. Our aim was certainly to get into the play-offs and we have not achieved that.”
“The manager has lost his job as a result but there have been games throughout the season where we should have done better and the players have to take some responsibility for that as well.”
Wood is urging his team-mates to end their campaign on a high as he explained: “We have got three games left under George unless we are told otherwise about a new manager coming in. We will be looking to pick up as many points as we can between now and the end of the season as we do not want things to fizzle out.”
“That happened last year and was disappointing for everyone. We beat East Stirling and then drew with Rangers with 5 games to go. We never won another game after that. We are in a similar position this season and we want do not want to let that happen again. We want to end the year on a high.”
Other players have substantial reasons for ensuring that they do not go through the motions in the remaining three weeks of the season with Wood saying: “There are boys in our changing room still playing for contracts for next season. It would be disrespectful to them for those of us who have got deals not to give our all.”
“You never know, a new manager could be watching in the crowd. They will form an early impression so we therefore have to try our best. We are home to Clyde and that will be very interesting as they have not secured their play-off place as yet and will be looking to bounce back from a couple of defeats.”
“They are going to be up for it and we have to make sure that we are up for it as well. We cannot let them come to our place and leave with the three points easily. We want the points as well even though we do not have the play-offs to go for. We want to win for all the reasons mentioned earlier.”
“After Clyde we have Annan to play and then East Stirling. We should be going all out to win those three games.”
The post Garden era got going last weekend at Airdrie in a 1-1 draw with Queen’s Park with Wood saying: “The wind spoiled things for both sides in that game."Shieldser' put us out to play passing football and to play with a bit of freedom. He did not want us to go long but the windy conditions ruined that approach and it became difficult to play any constructive football.”
“We went a goal down just after half time however we showed a bit of character to come back to equalise. I have seen us lose goals like that before and fade away so it was very important that we came back. It was a positive response after a disappointing week.”
Montrose’s leveller came from the trusted left boot of midfielder Paul Watson with Wood admitting he was celebrating long before the ball hit the net.
Wood explained: “When the ball was cleared into Paul’s path I was fancying him for a goal. It was a great finish and he has popped up with a few goals like that this season which is very good for the team. He helps the strikers out with goals and it is always good for a midfielder to do that.”
Whoever takes over at Montrose will no doubt want to utilise the versatility that Wood provides as he is useful in scoring and stopping goals and he was asked what position he would tell any new manager that he plays.
Wood explained: “I have been centre forward and centre half this season and it is a good question over what position I will be in next season. Obviously my preferred position is up front but I have had more game time at centre half this season than expected. You just have to get on with things and do whatever is best for the team.”
“It is a team game and I am a team player. For me to fill in at centre half is no big deal. Last season I even had a shot in goal when our goalkeeper got sent off however I am not too keen to repeat that experience. I like to think I help the team with that attitude and it probably explains why I am very often the captain. I try to lead by example.”
Many strikers will follow his example of claiming everything as he finished by saying: “I must be a striker as I am still claiming that goal against Rangers in September 2012. Some people think that their defender headed it in and TV pictures indicated that he did.”
“Honest, it was a great finish by me.”
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