STOKE have made it nine managers in as many years by hiring former Aston Villa and Leicester boss Brian Little to lift them out of Division Two. Little is the Potteries club's fourth boss in only nine months after Chic Bates, Chris Kamara and caretaker boss Alan Durban and is promising a big shake-up. ''I wanted something to interest me, a real challenge, and that is what I have got here, he said. A lot of things will change around here. That is what people expect and that is certainly what will happen. ''I will be stamping my authority on what I expect standards to be both on and off the field. I look forward to meeting everyone here, but the decision on who I work with will be totally mine. The backroom team could well take weeks rather than days to sort out, but I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into various things here and stamping my way of working on the place. ''It is a fantastic set-up here and I am really excited by it," Little continued. "The aim has to be getting up into Division One in two years and, if at all possible, to do it in the first season.'' The new boss isn't worried that he won't have much money to spend, let alone the £7m of Villa's cash he lashed out on Stan Collymore last summer. ''I know the market place,'' he said. ''I understand the whys and wherefores of the club's situation but in the next few years I want to see Stoke back in Division One, hopefully within 12 months. I understand the situation and it would have been easy to walk away from it but credit is due to the board because they did not try to hide the facts from me.'' Little made his name in the lower divisions by taking Darlington to the Conference and Fourth Division titles in successive seasons during the 1980s, and the board are confident he has the pedigree to turn Stoke around. Acting chairman Keith Humphreys said: ''We believe Brian is the finest manager available in British football today. I am confident he is the man to take Stoke City forward. There was no-one above him. He understands that he will be generating his own money to enter the transfer market.'' Little quit Villa Park, where he spent ten years as a player before knee trouble forced him to retire, in February. He led them to the Coca-Cola Cup in 1996 and into the quarter finals of this season's UEFA Cup but stepped down with the team stuck just six points above the relegation zone. 'CAN YOU MANAGE, LOVE?..' 'ERM, NO' In the last nine seasons, Stoke have tried nine different managers in the hope of returning to the top-flight: Mick Mills, 1985-89 Alan Ball, 1989-91 Lou Macari, 1991-93 Joe Jordan, 1993-94 Lou Macari, 1994-97 Chic Bates, 1997-98 Chris Kamara, 1998 Alan Durban, 1998 Brian Little 1998-???

I CHOSE TO WADDLE AWAY   HONEST Chris Waddle has held his hands up and admitted he resigned as Burnley manager after just 10 months in charge following their narrow escape from relegation. The former England winger managed to keep Burnley in the Second Division - they beat Plymouth 2-1 on the last day of the season to ensure survival - but considering he inherited a team that had narrowly missed out on the play-offs, the results clearly were not good enough. "It's been a difficult 10 months," said Waddle. "We went something like 12 games without a win and seven without a goal. People were saying it was a waste of time - for all that I said about it coming good. I made my decision and it was just a matter of meeting with the chairman, and for the directors to quickly call a meeting and agree." Wrexham boss Brian Flynn is in the frame to take over along with a trio of names already in the Burnley set-up - Waddle's No 2 Glenn Roeder, current youth team coach Gordon Cowans and midfielder Jamie Hoyland. Bury manager Stan Ternent, who made his name as a player at Turf Moor, and still lives in the town is also reportedly interested. Hoyland admitted: "I would apply for it." Burnley gave Waddle his break in management last summer when Adrian Heath left to be Howard Kendall's assistant manager at Everton. Chairman Frank Teasdale issued a statement which read: "After what has been a difficult season, Chris Waddle has taken stock of his personal position and by mutual agreement the club and manager have agreed to part company. Chris Waddle is appreciative of the opportunity the club has provided him with in his first step into player management, and Burnley would like to thank him for his effort on and off the field." Waddle, capped 62 times by England, began his professional career at Newcastle United and also starred for Tottenham before joining Marseille for a then British record £4.25m. Sheffield Wednesday brought him home and he also had spells with Bradford City and Sunderland before taking the plunge into management.

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