Preview: Bromley vs Cambridge United

The two teams locked horns last season in a promotion race that saw Bromley emerge as champions, while Cambridge finished five points back in the third automatic spot.

Yet, from a defensive perspective, Cambridge were by far the most impressive side in the division, with the U’s only conceding 33 goals across the campaign. No other team came close to a record like that. 

On the flip side, seven teams scored more goals, which explains why they had to settle for third.

So, what version of Cambridge United will League One see? Certainly, if they can maintain their defensive solidity, they will comfortably survive and consolidate their status.

And although goals didn’t exactly flow for them last season, they got this campaign off to a winning start last week with a 3-2 home win over Wigan Athletic, during which they enjoyed just 33.8% of the possession. Sound familiar?

The concern among Cambridge fans seems to be a perceived lack of signings. 

There have been some additions, most notably Gassan Ahadme (Charlton, loan), Callum Perry (Coventry, loan), Callum Stead (Barnet), and Isaac Heath (Everton, free). However, the question remains whether Cambridge, like Bromley, need to significantly upgrade their squad to compete in League One.

The transfer window closes in just over a week; have they done enough business? 

As shown against Wigan, Neil Harris’s preferred shape for his side is a 3-4-2-1, and they will likely line up in a similar shape against Bromley. The question is whether Andy Woodman decides to match their shape or stick to his guns. More on that in a moment.

Ben Knight is a player to watch. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder is very good at finding gaps between the lines, and if, as expected, Cambridge play with only one nominal striker, Knight will be relied upon to connect the dots alongside new signing Isaac Heath, who is also worth keeping a close eye on.

Heath, still only 21 years old, was good on loan at Accrington Stanley last season, contributing eight goal contributions for a lower mid-table League Two side. More to the point, he has started like a house on fire for Cambridge, scoring in both of their games so far this season.

Jake Eastwood, Mamadou Jobe, and Kelland Watts were all part of the parsimonious defence last season, and they continue to form the core this season. 

Louis Appéré scored against Wigan, but with Gassan Ahadme still working his way back from injury, and Callum Stead having a longer-term injury, perhaps this game will be decided by who has the better quality in depth off the bench.

Bromley can point to Wigan’s two goals as evidence that Cambridge can be got at, but much will depend on how Bromley themselves set up.

Both encounters last season served up good games of football, with two teams taking it in turns to be on top across both games.

In the first encounter, away at Cambridge, Bromley weren’t at the races and found themselves 2-0 down at half-time. They changed shape and reset themselves, but they couldn’t climb back up the mountain and it ended 2-1.

The 0-0 in front of the Sky cameras was probably a more honest reflection of the strengths and weaknesses of the sides, with neither giving an inch nor taking a mile. Andy Woodman opted to more closely match the opposition’s shape in that game, which added to the sense of both sides cancelling each other out.

What shape will he choose this time around? I looked at that question in my tactical preview, which dropped on YouTube last night.

Woodman's preference for erring on the side of caution usually leads to a cagey first hour of play. Neil Harris is aware of the threat Bromley pose from dead balls and crosses into the box, but as Barnsley found out last week, the Ravens now have additional puzzle pieces that allow them to switch up the play and pose different questions for the opposition.

This could well be another case of starters and finishers for Bromley, and with that in mind, I suspect the line-up writes itself. 

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