Bromley vs Cambridge United (EFL Trophy) preview
So this feels new.
Fresh from their Carabao Cup debut against AFC Wimbledon, Bromley take their first bow in the EFL Trophy.
Cambridge United are the visitors to Hayes Lane, and by coincidence they’re a team Bromley faced during their pre-season jaunt to Portugal.
It’s funny how you perceive some clubs. Between 2005 and 2014, Cambridge were in the Conference Premier, and I have long seen them as a non-league team who have done well for themselves.
I’m aware of the John Beck lore of the early nineties, and how close Cambridge came to being promoted into the inaugural season of the Premier League, but it would be fair to say that their current three-year stint in League One represents something of an overachievement.
Last season, their third successive season in League One, they needed a last-day draw at already relegated Port Vale to survive. During the campaign, the U’s cycled through two managers in Mark Bonner and, very briefly, Neil Harris before arriving at current manager Gary Monk (of Swansea City fame).
Over the summer, Monk made several additions to stamp his authority on the side, but the project has been slow to get going. In fact, Cambridge are yet to win this season.
Of their first four games in League One, they’ve lost three and drawn one (a dramatic comeback from 4-1 down against Blackpool). They lost their EFL Cup first round fixture against Queens Park Rangers, too.
Some of the club’s most notable summer signings include Shayne Lavery (who scored against Bromley for Blackpool in the FA Cup first round last season), Josh Stokes (who tore it up at Aldershot to secure a big-money move to Bristol City and is now on loan at Cambridge) and Birmingham City stalwart Gary Gardener, although he is yet to start a game for the U’s.
Then, on deadline day, Cambridge signed striker Dan Nlundulu on a season-long loan from Bolton Wanderers, a move no doubt inspired by their failure to score in three of their four league games. Will he make his debut tonight?
A cursory look at the club’s forums reveals a fanbase that is getting used to a new style of football under Monk. It seems the new-look U’s are possession-heavy and like to get the ball moving on the ground.
While a passing game may be easy on the eye, football is a results-based business. At present, albeit with a few injuries to contend with, Cambridge are not getting the results to back up their chosen style of play.
For that reason, it would be no surprise if they played as close to a first XI as they can in order to get the monkey off their back. However, a loss against lower-league opposition might just turn that monkey into a gorilla. It’s a tricky call.
In a similar vein, Bromley are looking to bounce back from their late collapse against Crewe Alexandra, where the Ravens blew a 1-0 lead with seven minutes of normal time remaining.
There have been the usual hyperbolic responses to the defeat, such is the reaction of the modern fan. But if, before a ball was kicked, you had offered your average Bromley fan two wins and two defeats in the club’s first four games in League Two, few would have grumbled.
We haven’t seen a performance this season where Bromley were dreadful from start to finish, but we have witnessed moments where they’ve been taken to school. This is likely to be the case for the majority of the games this season, as each encounter will offer a new learning curve.
While Bromley learn the Football League ropes, fans will simply have to take the rough with the smooth.
Andy Woodman faces something of a dilemma for this game as there must be an urge to rotate the squad and give players like Besart Topalloj valuable minutes. At the same time, how deep does Andy want to go in the competition?
The EFL Trophy represents one of the few opportunities for Andy to mix and match his two XIs and make sure his players stay fresh. The deeper Bromley go in the cup, the greater their chances of keeping people happy, but Andy has to field sides strong enough to stay in the competition. Catch-22.
I have no idea who will play in this one, but I’ve had a guess below.
Who would you like to see in white tonight?
The From Bromley with Love XI
Long
Foran Sowunmi Topalloj
Imray Leigh Charles Odutayo
Dennis
Olomola Amantchi
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