Preview: Bromley vs Rotherham United

What on paper looked like a potential giant-killing turned into a standard Bromley FA Cup first-round capitulation against a Football League club. The Millers despatched the Ravens with ease, barely getting out of second gear as they cruised to a 3-0 win.

Your average Bromley fan would have come away from the New York Stadium that day thinking they were unlikely to cross paths with Rotherham again anytime soon.

That assumption was underlined five months later when Rotherham gained automatic promotion to the Championship. Andy Woodman’s men finished 10th that season and won the FA Trophy, but the gulf between the Ravens and their FA Cup opposition had widened further. 

Yet here we are, just five years later, meeting Rotherham in the FA Cup first round once again. Only this time, Rotherham are 22nd in League Two while Bromley are rock bottom of League One.

Since that promotion season, the Millers have suffered two relegations in four seasons and are now staring another relegation in the face. On current form, they will fall through the trapdoor to the National League, a situation unthinkable in 2021.

This stands as a stark reminder of how quickly things can go wrong in the fickle world of football.

It all started when Paul Warne left the club in September 2022. Since then, they have had six managers in four seasons.

As we’ve seen time and time again, lack of stability off the pitch has an incontrovertible link to chaos on it.

That means that today, on paper, Bromley are favourites for this encounter, but given they have been playing League Two-quality football in their most recent fixtures, can anyone make that claim with any confidence?

The Millers have former England manager Steve McClaren as their director of football and Alex Bruce in the dugout, but between them, they are yet to get a tune out of the relegated Millers.

Their key signings have impressive pedigree, with players like Paul Mullin (Wrexham, free), Fabio Tavares (Burton Albion, free), Ossama Ashley (Salford City), Jamie Jellis (Walsall, free), Josh Austerfield (Salford City), Dominic Iorfa (Sheffield Wednesday), and Brandon Williams (free transfer - 21 appearances for Man Utd) all more than capable of making a serious dent in League Two.

However, they just haven’t got moving.

Rotherham have developed an unfortunate habit of not being able to win, with only two victories in fourteen League games. Their recent form is horrendous, with no wins in their last nine league and cup games.

One might argue that Alex Bruce is under significant pressure given the profile of the club and the expectations going forward. And given the quality in their squad, no one could have expected a relegation struggle after fourteen games.

The Millers favour a 4-3-3 shape and have been well led by Paul Mullin’s goals. The former Wrexham front man has 8 this season, and if he stays fit, he will no doubt add plenty more to that tally.

Ravens fans should also be familiar with Aaron Nemane, who has come up against the Bromley many times in the past. His pace down the right wing will test whichever Bromley player draws this week’s left-back short straw. 

The problem for the Millers is their propensity to leak goals. They have the second-worst defence in League Two, having conceded 25 goals this season.

Today's match might represent something of a free hit for Rotherham, but ten games without a win has a crazy ring to it. That run must be addressed. 

Bromley also find themselves on a precipice, and not just in terms of their form.

On Thursday, after two weeks of radio silence, the club announced that Karl Robinson had been selected to succeed Andy Woodman in the dugout at Hayes Lane. 

Robinson arrives with plenty of EFL nous, but critically for Bromley, a lot of his know-how was honed in League One.

When Robinson put pen to paper, it made the club’s intention clear. He has been brought in to fix the attacking and defensive issues that have plagued the side and ensure Bromley’s survival this season.

That is easy to say, but it is not a simple task. 

Given what we’ve seen from the squad in the opening stanza of this season, or perhaps what we haven’t seen, Bromley fans are struggling to shake the feeling that if the club don’t flip a lot of the squad in January, that task will be almost impossible.

Robinson, in his opening comments, has spoken about his desire to play ‘front-foot’ football, and it is no secret that he loves width and wingers.

However, he inherits a squad that was built for a different style of football, and the jury is out as to whether he has the players to play how he wants. That said, given some of the football seen in his time at Salford, perhaps he is willing to be far more pragmatic than people give him credit for.

Rotherham represents something of a blank canvas for Robinson; a chance for him to draw a crude outline of his eventual masterpiece. From that outline, fans might just get a glimpse of his ideas and inspirations. (“Can you guess what it is yet?”)

Then again, he only officially arrived on Thursday and has had limited training time to get to grips with his new charges. How much can a manager impart in a couple of sessions and a presentation or two?

Perhaps the most interesting sub-plot is who Robinson brings in as his backroom coaching staff over the next few weeks.

Surely he will need support to fix Bromley’s leaky defence? In the press, Jermaine Defoe is being mooted as Robinson’s assistant. Whether that is true or not, the maxim remains the same: Bromley cannot get better without fixing the defence and keeping clean sheets.

Under Robinson, that is the aspect Bromley fans should focus their attention on.

While the managerial debate played out, the squad caught some understandable pelters. Questions have been raised as to whether some of the players downed tools under Woodman, or whether some of them poisoned the well. Perhaps the loudest question, however, pertains to whether they have the requisite quality for League One.

It's time for them to answer that question. 

Robinson has a higher profile and a better track record at the level. If he can't get a tune out of some of them, then serious questions must be asked. 

There is no hiding place now.

If you liked what you read here and haven’t already, sign up for our FREE email newsletter. Every edition contains exclusive material that you won’t want to miss.

Better yet, to support FBWL’s independent journalism and gain exclusive access to every article, subscribe today. It costs less per month than a Hayes Lane hot dog, and you won’t need a packet of Tums afterwards.

Smith

Ifill Sowunmi Grant Taylor

Saville Conteh 

Archer McKiernan Miller

Adeboyejo