It is still early enough in a League One season for almost any position in the table to feel provisional, and early enough for managers and players to use words like "building" and "process" without inviting too much scepticism. That said, a body of work is beginning to accumulate at Bromley, and it is worth taking a measured look at what it amounts to.

A BBC Radio London assessment of the Ravens' campaign, including an interview with midfielder George Saville, has given supporters a chance to hear one of the dressing room's more experienced voices reflect on the start to life in the third tier. Saville is the sort of player whose presence in a League One squad tends to raise eyebrows in a good way: a man who has operated at Championship level and above, now helping to shape a club still finding its feet at this standard.

Where Bromley fit in the picture

Bromley arrived in League One as a freshly promoted side, and those clubs typically divide into two camps fairly quickly: the ones who discover that the step up is manageable, and the ones who find it rather less so. The evidence from the early weeks of this campaign suggests the Ravens are not simply making up the numbers. Results against established third-tier sides have demonstrated both resilience and an occasional capacity to take points from difficult fixtures.

A 2-1 win that manager Andy Woodman described as feeling like "us again" pointed to a side with a clear identity. A draw at Blackpool, a ground where plenty of League One visitors come away empty-handed, further underlined that Bromley are not a soft touch at this level. Against Huddersfield, a side with recent Championship pedigree, caution was the watchword from the opposition dugout, which is itself a form of respect.

Saville and the squad's experience

The signing of George Saville matters beyond the individual. Clubs in Bromley's position, navigating a first season in the third tier, benefit enormously from players who have been around long enough to know what a difficult run of fixtures feels like from the inside, and who can communicate that to younger teammates. Four games is four games, and no one should be drawing sweeping conclusions from a handful of early results. But the manner of some of those performances suggests a squad that has at least been given the tools to compete.

The addition of defender Adam Jackson on a free transfer is another indicator of a recruitment approach that has targeted experience and physicality. League One is an unforgiving division for sides that lack physical presence at the back, and Jackson's arrival addressed a clear need.

The longer road

For a newly promoted club, survival is the primary objective, and it would be faintly absurd to frame Bromley's ambitions in any grander terms after only a portion of the campaign has elapsed. The table will look very different by November, and different again by February. What matters now is the accumulation of points in the lower reaches of the table, avoiding the kind of damaging runs that define relegated sides, and maintaining the team shape and confidence that the early weeks appear to have built.

The fixture list will provide sterner tests. It always does. But on the basis of what has been assembled at Bromley, both in terms of personnel and mentality, there is at least a reasonable case that this is a side equipped to handle what the third tier will throw at them. Whether that proves accurate is a question for the spring. For now, the early signs are more encouraging than alarming, and in a first season at this level, that is genuinely something.

Frequently asked

How is Bromley doing in League One this season?
Bromley have shown encouraging signs in their first League One campaign, picking up results against established third-tier sides including a 2-1 win and a draw at Blackpool, suggesting they are competitive at this level.
Who is George Saville and why did Bromley sign him?
George Saville is an experienced midfielder who has played at Championship level and above. Bromley brought him in to add quality and know-how to a squad navigating their first season in the third tier.
Can Bromley survive in League One?
It is too early to say definitively, but the early indications are positive. The club has recruited experienced players and shown resilience in difficult fixtures, giving them a reasonable foundation for a survival push.