Home
Phil Brown admits he still has an emotional attachment with Wanderers.
Touted heavily for a return to the North West, the 56-year-old Southend United boss did little to play down reports that he was being lined up to be the next manager at the Macron Stadium during a TV interview on Saturday night.
Speaking to the Football League Tonight show, Brown claims a decade-and-a-half of service, ended when he was told by former chairman Phil Gartside that he would not be given a shot to succeed Sam Allardyce, has left him feeling there could be unfinished business.
Now with close ally Dean Holdsworth in a position of power, Brown could be in an ideal situation to return, even though the compensation due to Southend United is understood to be in excess of £500,000.
“It will be a fairly strong link because I had eight years there as a player and seven as a coach and assistant manager, some great years," he said.
“When I first went to the club it was in the Phil Neal days, 1987/88, we were in the old Third Division. When I came back as a coach we were in the Second Division.
“When I left the club, having been told by Phil Gartside that I wasn’t going to manage the club and had to go out and cut my teeth, in 2005, we were in Europe. Going from the Second Division to Europe, we obviously got something right.
“From then I’ve looked from a distance, from afar, and my heartstrings are still attached to the club.
“Now Dean Holdsworth is more or less in charge and making major decisions. The last time we locked horns Dean was manager of Brentwood Town and we had a pre-season friendly against Southend.
“He tried management and it hasn’t worked for him so now he’s on the other side of the fence.
“I’m obviously going to be linked with it, and it’s nice to be linked with it, because of the job we’re doing at Southend.”
Source
Touted heavily for a return to the North West, the 56-year-old Southend United boss did little to play down reports that he was being lined up to be the next manager at the Macron Stadium during a TV interview on Saturday night.
Speaking to the Football League Tonight show, Brown claims a decade-and-a-half of service, ended when he was told by former chairman Phil Gartside that he would not be given a shot to succeed Sam Allardyce, has left him feeling there could be unfinished business.
Now with close ally Dean Holdsworth in a position of power, Brown could be in an ideal situation to return, even though the compensation due to Southend United is understood to be in excess of £500,000.
“It will be a fairly strong link because I had eight years there as a player and seven as a coach and assistant manager, some great years," he said.
“When I first went to the club it was in the Phil Neal days, 1987/88, we were in the old Third Division. When I came back as a coach we were in the Second Division.
“When I left the club, having been told by Phil Gartside that I wasn’t going to manage the club and had to go out and cut my teeth, in 2005, we were in Europe. Going from the Second Division to Europe, we obviously got something right.
“From then I’ve looked from a distance, from afar, and my heartstrings are still attached to the club.
“Now Dean Holdsworth is more or less in charge and making major decisions. The last time we locked horns Dean was manager of Brentwood Town and we had a pre-season friendly against Southend.
“He tried management and it hasn’t worked for him so now he’s on the other side of the fence.
“I’m obviously going to be linked with it, and it’s nice to be linked with it, because of the job we’re doing at Southend.”
Source
