FORMER Weymouth boss Jason Tindall reckons the cash-strapped Terras would be foolish not to offer the vacant managerial post at the Wessex Stadium to his close friend Marcus Browning.

Tindall took charge of Weymouth following the club’s previous financial crisis in January 2007 when the entire squad was put on the transfer list under then chairman Martyn Harrison.

Despite working on a shoestring budget Tindall kept the Terras in the Conference that year and began to nurture the talents of such stars like Scott Doe, Anton Robinson and Stuart Beavon, who are all now plying their trade in the Football League.

However, a disappointing first half to the 2007-08 campaign, saw Tindall lose his job just 12 months after taking over. He has since been working at AFC Bournemouth as a number two, first under Jimmy Quinn and now under Eddie Howe.

Browning has already expressed a firm interest in the Terras’ hot-seat and with a year still left to run on his contract he is believed to be among the leading contenders to land the post.

And Tindall, who made the ex-Wales international his assistant at Weymouth in August 2007, is adamant his former Cherries’ team-mate is the ideal candidate.

He said: “The fact that club are in financial trouble and Marcus has a year left on his contract there should surely mean they should give him the opportunity to take on the role.

“But even if he did not have that year, I would still recommend him because in my professional opinion he would do a good job.

“And that is not me being biased. The one thing with that standard is that you need someone at the helm that knows it well.

“The Conference and the Conference South are pretty similar in the type of football that is played and Marcus has been playing and coaching at that level for a couple of years now.

“He also works very well with younger players and at that level it is all about bringing those lads through, giving them an opportunity and making them better. And that is what Marcus is all about.

“He enjoys spending time on the training ground, he is a hard worker and most importantly players respect him.

“Not only has he played at the highest level for his country but he has also worked under a lot of different managers from which he has learned a lot from as a player, a coach and an assistant.

“So to me I cannot see why anyone would think of employing anyone else. Surely if the club wants to cut costs, why would they think about bringing in another wage when they already have an ideal person in place? It does not make sense.

“I have heard that they are advertising the job and putting a shortlist together but Marcus has been at the club a while now and I think he would help bring about the stability it needs.

“You only have to look at Weymouth and the amount of managerial appointments the club has made over the last few years to see where the main problem lies.

“You see it is easy to hire and fire people but does that always bring success? I don’t think it does. You have got to have some stability.

“A prime example of that is at Salisbury City where Nick Holmes and Tommy Widdrington have been there years, working on a shoestring budget.

“The job they have done in taking the club into the Conference and keeping them there has been fantastic.”

Tindall also reckons the ever-changing world of football now commands fresh ideas. He added: “People go on about experience but to me that just brings old methods. The way forward for smaller clubs is to inject some energy and a new approach.

“Just look at all the successful managers around the lower leagues at the moment and the majority of them are young.

“There is Paul Tisdale, who has just won a second promotion with Exeter City, Andy Scott, who has led Brentford to the League Two title, and Roberto Martinez, who has taken Swansea City into the Championship where they have finished just below the play-offs. You could also look at the job Eddie Howe has done at AFC Bournemouth.

“I think Weymouth should just appoint Marcus but of course it is up to the people in charge. He has a lot of good contacts and the fact that I am just up the road means I would be able to help him out with players from this end, as it is likely the club would have to work with a shoestring budget.”

Reflecting on his time at the Terras and commenting on where the club now finds itself, Tindall said: “My time in charge there was a great experience and it is disappointing to see what has happened since I left.

“It is clear that bad decisions have been made there, which have been well documented. Not only has it racked up a lot of debt but there has been no stability at the club whatsoever, and that situation has to change if the club is to begin making progress again.”