Wealdstone boss Dean Brennan understands they can’t go ‘cherry picking’ the best players from even the National League South and must the right players to bolster their squad.

The Stones have seen the likes of Charlie Wakefield, Rhys Browne, and Dean Parrett depart in recent weeks to full-time clubs and says they have to wait for right players or moments to arise when it comes to replacing those players.

Although it is proving harder than usual due to the loan market being harder to use with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and football below the National League South currently suspended.

“We’re not cherry picking, financially we can’t afford to go get the best players out of the National League South, we can’t afford to sign a Moussa Diarra off Havant & Waterlooville that’s impossible for us,” Brennan said.

“Usually the market of level 3 and 4 would be open to us, it’s a market we’ve always tapped into, but that’s closed.

“The loan market due to the covid-19 situation is a nightmare. The fact that we’re part-time we’ve had a few players turn us down after agreeing loan deals.

“At the end of the day since I've come here we’ve over achieved and we’re still over achieving, I don’t mean that disrespectfully, so that’s what we have to keep thinking.”

Midfielder Dean Parrett departed for rivals Barnet but has since been released but the boss says they’ve already moved to bring in Matt Lench as his replacement.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Wealdstone's Matt Lench in action against Hartlepool UnitedWealdstone's Matt Lench in action against Hartlepool United (Image: Jon Taffel)

“We didn’t want him to go in the first place, but we’ve signed Lench now, so we’ve made a commitment to Matt Lench and he is in that spot.

“From our point of view I don’t think that will happen.”

The former Hemel Hempstead manager also reveals he understands why players such as Rhys Browne and Charlie Wakefield choose to leave the club.

“They’ve got to pay bills, they’ve got families, young children to feed and money is scarce at this period of time and both of them have gone onto better things, if you want to put it that way.

“Bromley are looking to get promoted as are Sutton United and they both have better financially packages that what we can offer them so we wish them well and thank them for what they’ve done for us.

“It’s not ideal, we don’t want a high turn over of players, no manager wants that. We never wanted to lose Billy Clifford, we never wanted to lose Conor Stevens as they were big players for us last year. Aston Oxborough as well. Them three were massive players for us last year.

“We didn’t want to lose Charlie Wakefield or Rhys Browne, and we didn’t want to lose Dean Parrett, but it’s a food-chain in this business and we’re in the big time now.

“I don’t mean that disrespectfully to the north or the south, but when you’re one of the four or five sides that are part-time, Weymouth and Woking are even going full-time by adding extra sessions so realistically there is only three of us that are part-time in the division.

“Kings Lynn Town, ourselves and Altrincham, so we’ve got to keep taking it one game at a time.”