Newcastle United vs Bromley (FA Cup 3rd rd) preview

Doing a match preview for a game against a Premier League team was not on my bucket list for this season, but Andy Woodman is the gift that keeps on giving, so here we are.

For the first time in their history, Bromley will play in the FA Cup third round; and against Premier league giant Newcastle United, no less.

Teenage me, who watched my first Bromley game in October 1996 in a crowd of 350, would find this very hard to put into words. Grown-up me isn't faring much better. Frankly, it still feels very surreal, and I suspect I won't fully understand it until the final whistle blows on Sunday.

There are plenty of fans who, like myself, remember watching Bromley in the Isthmian Division One South 20 years ago dreaming of a day when we would return to the Isthmian Premier. They wouldn’t have dared to dream of days like these, but that’s where the nostalgia trip has to stop.

The modern iteration of Bromley football club are where they are supposed to be and where they deserve to be.

You don’t achieve club history five seasons in a row without having something about your setup that lives and breathes a winning mentality.

Andy Woodman will prepare his Bromley side with a gameplan intended not just to ‘enjoy the day’ but to win or avoid defeat.

Worry not that Newcastle have won seven straight football matches as it is likely that the team that lines up on Sunday, while full of top-flight quality, will not be anything approaching their first choice XI.

One prediction I read on X (@GloveLitZine) suggested Newcastle’s starting XI will be something along the lines of: Vlachodimos, Trippier, Schar, Kelly, Targett, Longstaff, Miley, Willock, Almiron, Osula, Barnes.

Would Newcastle dare make so many changes? Would that leave them open to the dreaded cupset?

If so, what makes a cupset possible?

I’ve long held the belief that for this dream scenario to take place, a clear set of conditions must be met.

• Newcastle will have to play with a level of complacency and energy that takes Bromley for granted. Generally that means dropping their levels by 5-10%.

• Bromley have to be at their defensive best. Out of possession, they need to be as compact as possible

• Bromley will get at least one good opportunity, maybe two, and they have to be taken. Pray they fall to Michael Cheek.

• Bromley have to play the match not the occasion. Yes, it will be in front of 50,000, but psychologically that needs to be blanked out.

• There are no longer any cup replays. Bromley’s best chance is to win it in normal time.

• St James Park is a wide pitch, so Bromley need to narrow the game.

We could debate the best XI to play the game, but given the above, one would assume that Bromley will set up in a 5-3-2.

After a brutal Christmas and New Year period, Bromley have finally benefitted from a week off, and hopefully go into this game with something approaching a clean bill of health.

Should that be the case, the main talking points center around who plays at LCB, Callum Reynolds or Deji Elerewe?

Knowing that Bromley will spend the majority of the match defending, it is hard to imagine they will start with two up front. I’d love to see that, but my gut tells me Cameron Congreve will play behind Michael Cheek alongside Corey Whitely.

If that turns out to be the case, Congreve owes the side his best performance of the season to date. It certainly cannot be a game where he flits in and out to little consequence. Time to shine, Cameron.

Over to you. What would you do?

The From Bromley with Love XI

Smith

Sowunmi Webster Elerewe

Imray Thompson Arthurs Odutayo

Whitely Congreve

Cheek

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Please note all match photographs in this article are by Martin Greig - please follow him on Twitter here

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