Manager Keith Hill has told iFollow that his side won’t be underestimating Bromley, as the teams go head-to-head in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup this weekend.
The Ravens, visitors to the Crown Oil Arena on Saturday, are seventh in the National League, having secured 28 points from their opening 18 fixtures.
Speaking ahead of the match, Hill commented: “It’s two teams fighting for the chance to go through to the next round of the FA Cup, regardless of whether it’s a League One side taking on a non-league side. Come kick-off, it’s just two teams.
“I know a lot of the players who play for Bromley have got league experience or want to be a league experienced player. They’re a good outfit and we have not underestimated them. You could argue that the TV panels have probably underestimated it, but we certainly haven’t.”
And Hill says he’s taking the game and Bromley very seriously.
“There are a lot of stresses and pressure within the game, but it’s a different type of pressure that we’re going into. Arguably, you could say that the football world will be looking at an upset but it’s something we’re going to take very seriously. We were very successful last season, having nearly gone out of the FA Cup away at Maidstone in the first round.
“Those are the small details within football that everybody wants to change in their favour – changing a negative into positive. That’s what happened at Maidstone and it gave us a great run in the FA Cup again.”
Hill has named the same starting eleven for Dale’s last three league matches but will be forced into two changes this weekend due to suspensions.
“This is where the proof is in their pudding.
“A psychology of a football player is that if you’re not playing, then you tend to be a better player on the training pitch, because there’s less pressure.
“But the pressure comes when these players are called upon to perform, and I’ve got a great belief in these players to perform. They have to believe in themselves and they have to get the recognition from the players who have been playing on a regular basis, and I think I’m getting that now. I’m seeing better training from players who arrived late or who haven’t integrated well over the course of pre-season. They’re now integrating and we’re seeing better performances from those players on the training pitch, so that leads me to believe that when they’re called upon, we’ll get improvement in matchday performances.”
Watch the full interview on iFollow.