[Devongone]

Last night I watched Wealdstone play Solihull. Dreadful game really. BUT BUT

Finally Adam Virgo got something right. The best player on the pitch by a million miles was Wealdstone centre back Nikola Tavares.

He is 22, was at Palace, had several trials elsewhere, a few games at Brentford, but he is clearly a player who should have made the EFL somewhere and hasn't.

He's good on the ball, reads the game, appears calm. He was capped age age group levels by Croatia. Not a bad footballing nation. His parentage Croatian / Portuguese and he was brought up in South Africa. He isn't huge. Looks about a 6 footer. When Solihull brought on Hudlin (6' 9") everyone on the pitch appeared to have shrunk.

Hollis is a long-term injury. We always concede in the last few minutes. A calm young head cannot go amiss. Wealdstone are not wealthy. EFL clubs can't buy him till January. We could. If we don't and he keeps playing like that he won't finish the season at Wealdstone. Looks an investment to me, we wouldn't lose on him.

[spireitematt]

I read a few months ago that Manchester City were interested in signing Hudlin.

Grimes and Maguire is a good enough CB pairing. Carline is out for 5 months now and the only RB we have is King.

Asante, Hollis, Denton and now Carline are out injured.

[Devongone]

I fear Hudlin's brain operates at the same speed as his feet. He can play a bit and his height should ensure an EFL career eventually, but I read about Man City too and he is never going to be anywhere near that level unless financial fair play bans the owners, relegates the club to EFL 2 and sells the entire team on the cheap.

King was in the National League team of the year last season, so we've no need to panic, but we will miss Carline's throw.

A small fee would tempt Wealdstone for Tavares. Our former EFL status might tempt the player. We do need him. Not only do we concede last minute goals to anyone who launches an attack, but also Maguire is a bit of a sick note isn't he? He is out about 1 game in 3. Additionally Tavares seems better organised and calmer than our defenders. I'm sure we'd eventually make money on him.

James Rowe has gone very quiet in the transfer market - which is our one great advantage over Wrexham, we can still buy players if we've any money. Rowe must surely have got the message that this squad is nowhere near adequate? Anyway he will by the end of this afternoon when the Southend fans are demonstrating even though their team has won again.

There was some hope that Asante was way ahead of his provisional recovery date and might be up for a game in October. Has anyone heard any more about his progress? I wouldn't be too worried about our defence if Asante and Tshimanga could combine up front and Danny Rowe could play just in behind them. I think that would leave the opposition thinking they have to score three or more to beat us. Nevertheless I would still shell out to get Tavares and I'd be looking for a young keeper who wouldn't be a rabbit in the headlights when the ball whips across his six-yard box. That's how Saafend will beat us.