Tilson and Brush linked with vacant job

Southend supremo Steve "Tilly" Tilson and assistant manager Paul Brush are being strongly linked with yet another vacant position in the latest in a long-running saga of unfounded speculation.

Blues chiefs claim they have yet to receive an official approach, but the Southend Afternoon Echo Sportsdesk understands that this could change if someone was to get in touch for talks, although the club would resist any such approach and Tilson himself might be reluctant to give up his job security at Roots Hall.

The news comes just days after David Miliband was the latest to rule himself out of the running for the new post of European Union foreign policy, leaving the position wide open for Tilson, despite the fact that no-one has heard of him outside of Southend. And with the post of European President still to be filled and Tony Blair having being ruled out of contention by Gordon Brown backing him, speculation is mounting that Tilson could be tempted away.

Tilson's impressive track record at Southend combined with his Anglo-Italian experiences as a player and his reliance in recent seasons on French players, could make him a leading candidate.

Said a source who has not spoken to either man about it: “Southend may have paid off the £2.1million to the tax man to avoid administration but their position is still precarious,” said the man who had not heard anything about the job speculation until we telephoned him.

"If he’s fed up and the EU are actually offering to pay him on time then he may be tempted and I could understand that.”