Salford City vs Bromley preview
As recently as the 2018/19 National League season, Salford City and Bromley locked horns in their first-ever competitive fixtures.
Salford completed the double over Bromley that season and marched to a deserved promotion via the play-offs.
Back then, Salford’s story was the talk of the non-league and national press. They were the team with The Class of 92 at the helm, sitting in the shadow of Manchester United, and were seemingly on a path to being the next big upstart.
However, five seasons later, Salford only have one play-off season to show for their time in League Two. In fact, last season they ended a dreadful campaign in 20th place, nine points above the bottom two. It was their lowest finish since promotion.
Is League Two their level?
Needless to say, last season’s lowly placing inspired a rebuilding job in the summer.
Having been appointed in January 2024, manager Karl Robinson (formerly of MK Dons, Charlton, and Oxford United) has had a summer to build something more akin to what he wants at the club.
Robinson’s quality as a manager cannot be called into question. He’s had four trips to the League One play-offs and has achieved one promotion to the Championship.
It’s something that’s not often commented on, but it’s not just the quality of players Bromley are going toe-to-toe with in League Two, it’s the quality of the managers, too.
Anywho, this summer, Robinson set about revamping his squad.
In have come, among others, Tom Edwards (Stoke City), Ben Woodburn (PNE), Hakeeb Adelakun (Lincoln City), Josh Austerfield (Huddersfield), Cole Stockton (Burton Albion), and Kylian Kouassi (Blackpool).
I could have added others, but what is notable is how many additions Salford have made from the leagues above.
It essentially tells you the difference in budget and where the haves and have-nots shop in this league.
All that said, Salford are yet to set the league on fire and are firmly ensconced in mid-table.
After sixteen games, they have recorded five wins, six draws, and five defeats. This tells the tale of a team that’s being consistently inconsistent while it beds in a raft of new players.
Their Achilles’ heel appears to be in the goalscoring charts, as they are currently the fifth-lowest scorers in the league. If they can address that flaw then they will likely be around the play-offs at the end of the season.
Bromley have only lost one of their last eight league games but continue to draw too many. If they’re going to move away from the foot of the table, that has to change.
Last week's game against Carlisle was, in many ways, a clear example of what the season has been like.
The Ravens are competitive in games but have so far lacked the quality and nous to put most League Two sides to the sword. That is not to say this team isn't good. I haven’t come away from any game this season thinking Bromley just can't compete.
The real crux at the moment is that, outside of the first XI, we don’t really have the proven quality to consistently control or change the game.
Andy Woodman is having to make and mend with what he has until January, and frankly, it is what it is. At this moment in time, any points are a bonus.
With Lewis Leigh having been sent off last week, I wouldn’t expect any changes from last week’s lineup unless Corey Whitely is fit.
Without Whitely, most of Bromley’s attacking thrust has to come through Danny Imray, but you kinda sense that most teams have clocked on to this.
It is a testament to Danny’s ability that he can play past this. Crystal Palace fans should be very excited about this young man. He isn’t the finished article by any stretch of the imagination, but I reckon he has it.
But let’s just say, for argument's sake, that Salford close Imray out of the game and Whitely isn’t fit. What then?
You’re in the dugout. How would you approach this game?
The From Bromley with Love XI
Smith
Sowunmi Webster Grant
Imray Thompson Arthurs Odutayo
Whitely
Cheek Amantchi
Please note all match photographs in this article are by Martin Greig - please follow him on Twitter here
All articles are edited by Peter Etherington you can link to him here
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