David Webb insists he is here to help manager Steve Tilson following his appointment as Blues new assistant manager.

Webb, back for his fifth stint at Roots Hall, today became Southend's new number two until the end of the season.

And the former United boss hopes he can help Tilson keep Southend in League One this season.

"I am not coming here to take over," Webb told southendunited.co.uk. "I am here, to coin an old fashioned phrase, in a consultant role.

"Equally I'm not coming here to be insulted or to insult other people but to just help the team be the best it can.

"Steve is a good manager, he has proved his record and sometimes luck can go against you."

Webb was contacted by Chairman Ron Martin on Monday evening after Paul Brush's dismissal.

And the ex-Chelsea defender admitted he dropped everything to help out his old friend.

"The Chairman and I have spoken quite a few times in the past," he said. "I left here before when Ron had asked me to come back and I have helped out previously.

"I really like him because he genuinely wants the best for Southend United and so I feel sorry for him when things aren't going well.

"I have a good association with Steve Tilson and Ron (Martin) and equally I instigated bringing Paul Brush to the club in the first place.

"Ron asked me if there was anyway that I could help out and even though it meant dropping a few things I was willing to do it to help out until the end of the season."

Webb's first priority in assisting Steve Tilson is to rally the troops ahead of Saturday's crucial League One clash with Exeter City.

"I will do the best I can until the end of the season to help out Tilly and Ron and the whole club," said 63-year-old.

"It will be nice to rally the troops and get the supporters behind the whole club because we are in for a tough battle.

"I have been in these situations before and I am going to be honest and say I haven't always got out of them. The majority of the time I have been successful though and turned it around but it's not a foregone conclusion.

"What is important now is that we get some points on the board and it really doesn't matter how we do that. It is of little gratitude to come off the pitch and say well we played well but we got beat - play poorly and win will do at the moment!"

Webb will travel back to Southend tomorrow from his Bournemouth home to return to the training ground alongside Tilson.

But he insists that he will only be another pair of eyes and ears as Blues look to take one match at a time.

"I am going to be there as another voice and an observer," said Webb whose last stint at the Club was in 2003.

"Some people may be reluctant to have you on the training ground but I know Steve when he worked for me and he knows I will slide in and out when needed.

"It is too late in the day to change much, we are now at the time where we have to try and consolidate and keep fighting.

"It is the same maxim as Alcoholics Anonymous 'you take each day at a time'. Steve is a bit like me in that at every club I managed at I never bothered about the opposition but I worried about how my players performed for Southend United.

"Every game this season is going to be important, and the Exeter game is the first Cup Final of many. They need the points and we need the points and as far as the managerial side goes it is up to Steve to decide how he wants to play it and I will be there to assist him in achieving his goals."

London-born Webb played for a number of clubs, including Chelsea, as a defender before moving into management.

His first stint at Southend came in June 1986 after he left Torquay to join the Blues.

Webb stayed until Match 1987, leaving before the club won promotion to the old Third Division.

He returned in November 1988 but was unable to prevent the Shrimpers being relegated back to the old Fourth Division the following year.

But Webb helped Southend to promotion into the Third Division in 1990 and into the Second Division the following season.

Despite briefly topping the table in January 1992, the Blues finished the season in mid-table with Webb resigning in March of that year and leaving the club.

Webb resigned as manager of Yeovil Town in September 2000 to return to Southend and stayed in charge until October 2001.

His fourth stint in charge at Roots Hall came in November 2003 when he was caretaker manager between Steve Wignall and current boss Steve Tilson.