Bromley manager, Karl Robinson feels that his team are beginning to adopt his “philosophy” after a 2-1 defeat to MK Dons in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy.
Nicke Kabamba fired the Ravens in front at the CopperJax Community Stadium, before Callum Paterson and Jack Burke sealed the Dons’ comeback over the already-eliminated hosts, as Robinson’s reign continued with consecutive defeats after their FA Cup exit against Rotherham last weekend.
Robinson however was pleased with the improved performance of his players as he explained to BFC TV post match that the team are beginning to adopt his “philosophy”, but warned that patience and time will be key to fully implementing his vision and winning matches.
“Yeah, I feel that you can see that there’s a philosophy that we’re trying to install and it’s gonna take time. It’s gonna take patience and trust me, it’ll get to the stage when we’ll win an awful lot of football matches with an awful lot of hard work alongside that.
“The one thing for me, I’ve been very conscious of a lot of the goals that have been associated with the football club for the last two years. And what we’re looking at, oh yeah, we wanna to play and put our hand on a play, but every now and then, can we not put it in a box and ask questions, which has been fundamentally where about 70% of the goals have come from.
“And we’ve been speaking to the goalkeeper coach and some of the set play coaches, the people who were taking care of the set plays have been in this football club for the last five years.
“So they’re the bits that I’m really excited about to make sure that we can force the errors in that and I need to use some of that and the staff that have got in this building are exceptional.”
Robinson added that slow starts to the second half is an area that needs improvement after discussion with the staff following the FA Cup defeat, with the club now not in action until Saturday 21 November at Reading in League One at 12:30pm GMT.
“And we’ve been speaking long and hard we’ve used the game on Saturday, where can we be better? We need to be better in the first 10 minutes of the second half because we’ve started slow in both of them now.
“And then the big thing for me is making sure that we can build up with no injuries to the game away at Reading in a week on Saturday. I said to them, they’re great lads you know, you see them, you probably know them better than Mabel. I’ve really enjoyed it.
“I really have and the MK team at the start, it was a strong team. I thought we showed a different side of us, which I’m impressed by.”
Despite the dead rubber nature of the tie, Robinson felt that it wasn’t the case as he lauded MK Dons’ squad quality and is keen for Bromley to hold those type of ambitions in the future.
“No, but don’t forget that you’re coming up against the team, whose squad is just incredible. And the little bit so many good players and their objective in the year was maybe a little bit different to what people from afar were for seeing ours.
“We want to have them aspirations and we want to be a team that we can know that we can make 10 changes and leave 10 of our players completely not in the squad and still have the quality of the players in our large people like that, why else are you playing the Championship.
“My tattoo is playing the Championship, Patterson played in the Championship, [Curtis] Nelson played in the Championship.
“Like I say, it’s a little kind of playing in the Championship. Kevin Jones played in the Championship. You look at their team, it’s a lot of players who’ve played a lot higher than the current level that they’re even at.
“And we have aspirations and we are going to work so hard. We’ve got a lot of injuries to our back line, look at our injury list, look at the players we’re playing who haven’t had many minutes either. I’m dying to get going, I’m really excited.
“And it’s going to take time, and I beg for patience as well. I really do. I know when I’m in a conversation with some of the fans next week. At some point, I want to understand that I don’t want to be something different, I don’t want to be.
“I want to be part of what has been successful with a twist that can almost marry up the next level of the EFL.
“And not just the next level, something that we’ll take us even stronger from then on.”
Robinson also experimented during the match with Marcus Ifill deployed in three positions, whilst George Saville played in the defensive midfield and left-sided defence, which the gaffer put down to needing to find a way to utilise his packed midfield section of the squad.
“Yeah, Marcus played in three positions tonight, Saville played in two. Saville played, I was speaking yesterday Saville played left back at international football so I know it’s something he’s very used to. I’m really blessed with an awful lot of decent good midfield players.
“So it’s an area that we’re full, and I know that the wide players are going to get better because it’s not something that they’ve been used often enough. So there’s some real quality.”
Robinson also praised Jodi Jones – amidst humouring fans’ speculation of a mutiny – and Mitch Pinnock for their efforts.
“Look at Jodi Jones, isn’t it? People think I don’t like him. It’s just crazy yeah. I’ve been doing it before. It’s just cause you go against these people and you want to beat them all the time. Don’t mean you don’t like anybody. He’s been brilliant for me.
“Mitch I see in the quality when he came on the other day. You can hear him, you’ve always made him. I can’t wait. I’m really looking forward to this challenge, really.”
One aspect of Robinson’s approach to his new job has been his enthusiasm which he puts down to a natural work ethic and passion to improve the team, as Bromley now focus on their battle against relegation in League One for the remainder of the season.
“It’s normal. You come in at quarter-to-eight and you leave at seven or six, seven o’clock. They’re normal hours.
“People are watching this go to work and off early like in the main go home and off a lot later. I expect to be in this office. I expect to be in working hard. The staff are being immense as well.
“Their work ethic has been nothing but sensational. I don’t think anything comes in life without a work ethic that is unrivalled to anybody else.
“And I want this place to be as professional and as resilient and as together as it’s ever been. And we need to make sure that every minute that we spend within this building, that we’re better for that.
“So the more minutes you spend in, the better you’re going to become. But I’m really pleased that I never like losing. I’m still frustrated with that. But there’s a lot more to come from us, trust me. And I don’t know, there’s just something that has sparked me tonight.
“I don’t know what it is. It’s an auto defeat and it shouldn’t be this way. But I’ve just seen something tonight. It’s the way we go forward.
“And if I can consolidate underneath that, I think it would be a good team. It would be a great team. And then we can develop a good team into a very very good team.
Robinson also iterated that their week-and-a-half off won’t be a chance to lift off the gas as he will be attending games and playing in a match over the weekend, whilst ensuring that the team prepare for the trip to Reading and planning for January’s transfer window.
“Yes, it’s going to be a bit of a game on. I’m going to be at a game on Saturday. I’m actually going to be playing a game on Sunday as well. So, not commentating. That’s why I was thinking that’s it. Now, I’m going to go and see as many games as I can.
“I just want to keep playing and I love the game. I do. I love training. I love being associated with it. It would be quite easy to sit back and just do what I was doing for the period of time.
“I miss this. It’s something that I live for. And we are going to work so hard and Thursday, Friday with the staff for everyone and staff.
“We’re going to be able to watch each game. for recruitment purposes for January. And then we’ll get ourselves back in next week.”
Robinson also issued a rallying call for Bromley supporters to get the CopperJax Community Stadium on Monday 16 November, as the Ravens host South-London rivals, AFC Wimbledon in a “huge” second round tie in the FA Youth Cup.
“It’s the community from the women’s team to the community to the youth team to the young pro to our first team.
“Every time people wear the Bromley shirt, we want to make sure that people support that. And we’ve got some wonderful young talented players. And I can’t wait to see them for the first time on Monday evening. And every one of my players is going to be here, every single one.
“And we’re going to be as one big club supporting our young players and driving them on and seeing them go through to the next round. So I know we’ll do it again before then, but I am looking forward to Monday night to seeing them take this picture as well.”
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