Wicked Wing-Wizardry: Is there a future for it in the modern game?

One of the standout features of Bromley’s shape and set-up over the last three seasons has been the adherence to a back-three system with wing-backs. 

The 21/22 season saw Luke Coulson, Harry Forster, and Corey Whitely share duties. In 22/23, Harry Forster, Kellen Fisher and Besart Topalloj were the primary placeholders. And in 23/24, Josh Passley, Myles Weston, Besart Topalloj, and Idris Odutayo were the upgrades

Whether Bromley line up in a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1, the wing-back role has evolved to the point that the player is expected to slot into a back 5 out of possession and move high up the pitch in possession.

Andy Woodman has often spoken about his desire to have a team that regularly puts balls into the box for the strikers to attack. Last season, we saw increasing evidence of that.

With so many teams successfully utilising wing-backs, it begs a question: Is there a future for the out-and-out winger in the modern game?

A cursory look back at Bromley teams over the 21^st century speaks to a move away from the game-changing dribbler.

Bromley fans from the old-school had the wicked wing-wizardry of Kirk Watts to liven up their Saturday afternoons in the early 2000s. A conveyor belt of fleet-footed wide-men followed. 

The alumni include Gareth McCleary, Alfie Doughty (on loan), Blair Turgott, Recco Hackett, Adam Mekki, Anthony Cook, and Louis Dennis, who, let’s not forget, started out on the wing when he joined Bromley. 

So it’s not like we haven't seen the kind of players who get you off your seat with direct running and a little jinky-janky, it’s just that we haven't seen them recently.

Harry Forster was probably our last great hope in that role, but Bromley only occasionally played the kind of 4-2-3-1 system that suited his skill set. When Harry decided to fly the nest to Crawley Town, we lost the flexibility he offered to play both attacking wing-back and out-and-out winger. 

Last season, Andy Woodman brought Kido Taylor-Hart and Todd Miller to the club. Both were wingers and, in the context of the National League, not really suited to any other role. 

Yet, because of Bromley’s success with their variations on the 3-5-2 shape, there was very little scope for either of them to play in a position that would maximise their skill set.

Both had stints at wing-back, usually off the subs’ bench in the last 20-25 minutes of matches, and both were so clearly better suited to going forward than backwards.

This isn’t a Bromley problem alone. In the roughhouse struggle of the National League, unless you have an embarrassment of riches, it is very hard to play a shape that involves attacking wingers. Defensive solidity is most clubs’ priority, so if your winger isn’t a legitimate defensive grafter, playing them is an unnecessary luxury.

Quick test: Without looking at any National League squads from 23/24, how many top-10 teams played with natural wingers? 

Ryan Colclough at Chesterfield is the most obvious example I can think of, but Chesterfield had a Football League squad!

The thing is, Bromley aren’t in the National League any more. In the Football League, they might just find they need to stretch teams in ways they’ve not encountered before.

As Andy Woodman and his backroom staff plot their squad upgrades for the new season, will they be looking at EFL-quality wingers?

What does an EFL-quality winger even look like? 

Bromley players are expected to graft and earn the right to win before playing their stuff. Does that mean we should stick with what isn’t broken? Or will the League Two landscape demand a different approach? 

I suspect Andy will need to have a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 up his sleeve that caters for conventional wingers. Then again, is 4-4-2 redundant in the modern game? 

On reflection, the loan signing of Kido Taylor-Hart was never destined to work out. This isn’t down to Kido’s age or lack of senior football experience, but because players with his skill set almost have to have a team built around them. English football doesn’t strike me as being ready to embrace that mentality.

In the coming weeks, we will learn of the players Andy Woodman has recruited to help Bromley navigate their inaugural season in League Two. 

I expect Andy to sign some players that allow him to stretch play in the final third, but the question is whether they will have the freedom to express themselves. Given the difficult task at hand, perhaps such freedom is unrealistic in the short term.

Good teams are defensively sound. It’s the reason Bromley won promotion in the first place. While some fans might want to see attack-minded players arrive, are they prepared to pay the price that might incur?

Let’s not forget, Bromley scored the 7^th most goals in the National League last season with a defence-first culture.

Would you stick or jinky-janky?

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