Omar’s Coming, Yo!

Jul 08, 2024

They say you should never return to a past relationship, but what if it worked? Really worked?

When Omar Sowunmi left Bromley to sign for Sutton United in June 2023, he had recently won both the Manager’s and Players’ Player of the Season awards. He was a popular figure for good reason. In his two campaigns at Hayes Lane, the Ravens won the FA Trophy and reached the National League play-off semi-finals, and it is fair to say that Omar played a big part in those achievements.

However, his single season at Gander Green Lane was not the triumphant return to the Football League he would have been hoping for. After a three-year stay in League Two, Sutton United suffered a humbling relegation and returned to the National League from whence they came, taking Omar with them.

But the tall centre-back didn’t have to wait long for another shot at the Football League. In case you missed the news last week, Omar Sowunmi has re-signed for Bromley. The Ravens even parted with an undisclosed fee to secure his services.

While a lot of Bromley fans are pleased with this signing, for some, Omar’s return to Hayes Lane is beyond the pale. But what are their complaints, and are they right to make them?

The Case for the Persecution

Their first issue of concern is that this is not a financially sound move.

When Omar departed for Sutton, his contract at Bromley had expired. The Ravens offered him new terms, and they were supposedly quite generous, but he chose a competing offer from Sutton. It was an understandable move as it guaranteed him League football without the need to uproot his life and move across the country. It also gave him the comfort of a two-year contract.

That two-year contract was a sticking point this summer, as Omar still had a year remaining when Bromley came calling. It is unclear whether a relegation release clause was triggered, or whether Sutton were just happy to get him off their wage bill, but one way or another, Andy Woodman had to pay to bring Omar back to Hayes Lane.

Football data website Transfermarkt doesn’t put a fee on Omar’s move, but they calculate his value at £175k. Bromley are unlikely to have paid that much, but some Bromley fans feel the club has lost out financially by paying any kind of fee to re-employ a player who walked out of the door for free just a season ago.

The second issue of note is that some fans feel Omar is not good enough for League Two.

They are basing this assumption on the fact that Sutton were relegated with Omar in their team. To put a figure on it, he started 30 of Sutton’s 46 league games, so he was clearly in the eye of the storm.

It is important to remember that this wasn’t Omar’s only brush with League Two. He gained hard-earned experience with Yeovil and Colchester before his original move to Bromley in 2021.

Yeovil fans were complimentary about his efforts in their shirt, and even though they too were relegated, they were disappointed to see him leave. Colchester fans weren't so complimentary, but at least they avoided relegation.

Was Omar entirely to blame for Sutton’s underwhelming season? No. Did he contribute to it? I’ll address that in a minute.

The third issue that fans have voiced is that Omar left Bromley to sign for their historic rivals.

The Ravens have a lot of non-league history with their neighbours from the other side of Croydon. To older fans, this rivalry is a relatively terse one, and it is important to note that Bromley and Sutton players have swapped clubs countless times over the years. For modern fans, however, a rivalry is a rivalry and must be honoured by fans and players alike.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, but I believe there is a more nuanced way of looking at Omar’s return to Hayes Lane.

The Case for the Defence

A couple of paragraphs ago, I asked whether Omar contributed to Sutton’s poor season. A cursory look at Sutton-centric social media, or a quick chat with their fans, will reveal that Sutton supporters are quite disappointed to see Omar leave, which suggests they don’t lay the blame at his feet.

Their disappointment is only tempered by the fact that Sutton got a fee for him, which will undoubtedly aid their manager, Steve Morrison, as he rebuilds the squad in his own mould.

When Omar signed for Sutton United, he did so under a different manager: Matt Gray. Gray’s smashmouth style of football had a lot of similarities to Bromley’s style, which is probably what attracted him to Omar’s all-round game.

Crucially, Gray’s Sutton played with a flat back four, while Omar had played with distinction in Bromley’s back three (with wing-backs). Mastering a new system was always likely to take time, and evidently it didn’t happen in time to save Gray’s back-four bacon.

Sutton also had the oldest team in League Two last season, and for a lot of their senior players it looked like a season too far. It is no surprise to see new manager Steve Morison getting rid of the legacy players who helped Sutton to promotion in 2021.

Was Omar sandbagged by tiring legs? It probably didn’t help.

Now, none of this entirely exonerates Omar, but these details warrant scrutiny. He also played under two managers and one caretaker manager, which will have taken a toll.

So what role will Omar play in Andy Woodman’s class of 24/25?

Is Omar a ball-playing centre-back? Not particularly. Does he carry the ball forward like Deji Elerewe? Not really. Is that what he is expected to bring to the side? Unlikely.

The way I see it, Omar brings a different skill set to Bromley’s table.

Does he score goals from centre-back? Yes. Is he robust and mobile? Yes. Does he understand how to play Bromley’s particular brand of sufferball? Absolutely.

Even in a relegated side, Omar was still strong in League Two’s percentiles for the following defensive attributes:

Aerial duels won: 92% percentile.

Clearances: 97^th percentile.

Shots blocked: 99^th percentile.

His weakness appears to be in ground duels, where his numbers are a little less impressive; particularly in tackling where he was among the league’s worst performers. Does that matter?

What matters more, in my opinion, is that Bromley are getting a player who not only knows the club’s system and culture inside out, but who also fits the character profile that Andy Woodman wants in his squad.

Do not underestimate the importance of being the right fit on and off the pitch.

Omar’s coming…

Any conversation with Bromley players last season underlined how much of a close-knit group they were, and Andy Woodman himself was at pains to point out that he had built a squad of grafters with no bad eggs. Bringing Omar back is a clear indication that Andy trusts him to complement the group.

It is also worth remembering that Bromley aren’t just about to embark on a 46-game League Two campaign. The Ravens will also feature in the FA Cup, League Cup, EFL Trophy, and the provincial London and Kent cups.

This season, more than ever, will be a squad game. And as Bromley now have to adhere to the Football League’s strict transfer windows, building a deep and talented squad this summer will be vital if they are to achieve any kind of success.

What does success look like?

Andy Woodman has been bullish in his determination to “smash the doors open'' this season, but Bromley’s main aim must surely be to consolidate themselves in League Two. With that in mind, they can’t afford to carry players who need to adapt to the level.

I ask naysayers to consider whether Omar’s ability and experience adds the kind of strength in depth that the squad needs at this moment in time.

I think it does. In fact, to me, this move is an absolute no-brainer.

The club now has Byron Webster, Calum Reynolds, Deji Elerewe, and Omar Sowunmi as its key figures in central defence. Given Bromley’s three-man set-up, it is likely that Omar won’t be the last centre-back to arrive, but I think we can agree that the foundations are made of sturdy stuff.

Finally, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, put emotion aside and ask yourself why Andy Woodman has parted with cold, hard cash to bring Omar back to Bromley Football Club. Clearly there are no hard feelings from Andy’s end. Why do you think that is?

The case rests.

Or does it?

Have your say in the comments section below.

From Bromley with love

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