With a League One relegation scrap awaiting Karl Robinson at Bromley, here is a look at four tasks that await him.
Robinson has been appointed as Bromley’s new manager as the Ravens sit rock bottom of League One with one game in hand and a three-point gap to safety, meaning that he faces a tough fight on his hands to keep them in League One so here is a look at four tasks that await him as he looks to guide them to safety.
Sort the Defence
The first obvious task is to sort out Bromley’s defence because they’ve conceded 33 goals in just 13 league matches this season, even though they’ve had defensive injuries to deal with in the early part of the season.
Bromley’s bedrock throughout Andy Woodman’s era and rise from National League to League One was a solid defence, but that solidness has totally collapsed upon arrival in the third tier after an initially promising start in their first league outing with a 1-0 win at Barnsley.
Robinson therefore needs to focus on creating a new solid defensive foundation within his defence and their FA Cup tie at home to Rotherham is a solid game to begin that work, especially with a Jersey Mike’s Trophy dead rubber against MK Dons following on Tuesday 10 November.
Once the MK Dons match is done, he then has a week-and-a-half to properly work on defensive tactics in training because Bromley’s League One clash against Notts County on 14 November has been postponed, due to international call-ups.
The midfield and attack though are capable of delivering goals so if he can sort out the defence first and quickly, Robinson would have a solid base on which to build upon higher up the pitch.
Unlock Clinical End Product
Once Robinson has sorted out the defence, his next priority has to be unlocking more clinical quality up top because just five of their 13 league goals this season have been scored by their central forwards – with Victor Adeboyejo having scored four goals and Michael Cheek has scored once.
Adeboyejo however has failed to score in any of Bromley’s last seven league matches since he got their first equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Blackpool on 12 September, whilst Cheek’s sole goal came in a 1-1 draw at home to Peterborough in their first match after Woodman’s sacking.
Nicke Kabamba meanwhile has failed to score in nine appearances across all competitions this season, having been largely utilised as a substitute rather than starter.
Robinson therefore has a tough task on his hands to restore confidence in the central forwards, underlining how huge a job he has to improve the performances across both the back and front, with the midfield the only area looking steady aside from the defensive aspects.
If rumours are true that Jermain Defoe is joining as assistant manager then he might just bring the insight needed to help Robinson sort out the attack.
Clarify Professional Relationship with Jones
Looking at things more microscopically, Robinson realistically needs to professionally sort out his relationship with Jodi Jones because the Mata international seemingly doesn’t exactly have the strongest relationship with him from their time at Oxford United together.
Jones spent six months at Oxford Utd from July 2022 – January 2023 under Robinson but made just eight appearances in all competitions, during which he found himself down the pecking order behind Tyler Goodrham and often forced to train away from the first team.
Robinson subsequently sanctioned a loan move for Jones to then National League’s Notts County which eventually became permanent, but Jones had the last laugh when County beat Robinson’s Salford 3-0 in last season’s League Two Play-Off Final to win promotion.
Jones produced set up County’s opener then netted their third goal in a match which ultimately saw Robinson sacked following a post-season review, with the winger subsequently believed to had aimed a cryptic dig on X at his now-new manager following their respective moves to Bromley.
If there is one small positive then it is that Jones hasn’t publicly criticised Robinson aside from that sly cryptic dig in June, but there will surely be some private conversations between the pair to clarify any unsaid things to prevent any distractions in terms of fan speculation.
Win Fans Over
Although sorting the defence and attack out is vital to improving the on-pitch performances and results, Robinson also has the daunting challenge of following in Woodman’s shoes which is no mean feat, especially when fans fell deeply in love with Woodman’s style and consequential success.
Robinson too will be aware that the fans will still be present long after any manager comes and goes but whilst he is in charge, he need to implement a style which addresses the fans’ criticism of the team and bring about improvement that excites them enough to back him.
Add in the fact that Woodman was in charge for five-and-a-half years and delivered FA Trophy, two promotions and the League Two title, there is unsurprisingly still a lot of sentimental love which can’t just be swept aside so Robinson needs to find his own way to connect with supporters.
That work however starts with performances and results on the pitch given Bromley’s current fight for survival so he might need patience if he is to win fans over, because if he doesn’t get the fans’ backing then that could psychologically affect the team on and off the pitch.
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