BRIAN LITTLE TAKES ON LARGE TASK AT WREXHAM
Daily Telegraph

Former Aston Villa, Leicester and Tranmere manager Brian Little has been unveiled as the new Wrexham coach.

Little will take over with immediate effect from Brian Carey, who will continue as an assistant at the Racecourse Ground.

Wrexham are currently second bottom in League Two and have no fixture at the weekend.

But they are currently on a winless run of six games, including defeat in the FA Cup by Peterborough last weekend.

Carey succeeded Denis Smith in January and despite helping prevent relegation last season, he has struggled to find consistency this time round.

BRIAN CAREY STAYS AT WREXHAM
Andrew Gilpin - Daily Post

FORMER Wrexham manager Brian Carey last night confirmed he wanted to be part of the future at the troubled League Two club.

Following yesterday's appointment of Brian Little, Carey said he was keen to work the new man in whatever capacity.

"I still think I have something to offer the club," he said. "I know Brian well and I know what sort of character he is."

Carey admitted he had yet to have detailed discussions with the new boss, but he added: "Brian will need a few days to have a look around. Then I'm sure we will all sit down together as a staff and work out the best way forward."

Former assistant Steve Weaver will also remain at the club.

BRIAN LITTLE'S ALREADY MAKING A MARK
Rob Griffiths - Daily Post

THE worst kept secret in football was revealed yesterday when Brian Little was officially handed the task of moving the Dragons away from the danger zone.

The 53-year-old former Aston Villa and Leicester boss comes into the club with the Dragons at the bottom of League Two, having picked up just 10 points from a possible 42 and again staring down both barrels of a relegation battle.

Yesterday's Press conference had Little surprises (pardon the pun). Brian Carey will stay on as will Steve Weaver, while Little talked passionately about moving the club in the right direction.

Much was made of his experience. Little has managed in all four leagues, plus the Conference, has won the League Cup and saved teams like Aston Villa and Tranmere from certain doom.

And he knows he will have to work his magic once more as the Dragons brush with relegation yet again.

"Hopefully me coming in today could be a turning point," he said. "At this moment in time my target is to climb away from where we are.

"If another target comes along before the end of the season then fine, but realistically I have one short-term aim.

"That is to take away the worry every time you turn up on a Saturday and it can only be done by winning games.

"If that happens quickly then you can't help but have different targets, but my priority is to try and get some points on the table."

Little also talked at length about how he is the man who has the answers for the struggling team.

One criticism of the side in recent times has been a lack of real leadership to get under-performing stars playing.

And Little has no qualms about getting his message across, even with the spectre of former manager Carey behind him.

"I'm not here to criticise anyone, as far as I'm concerned what happened in the past has gone now," added Little.

"I think the world of Brian Carey, who I've known for many years.

"But as I've said to everybody 'I'm now in charge and please listen to what I'm saying', and let's hope that what I'm saying will take us in the right direction."

But while Little will replace Carey in the Wrexham hot-seat, he is keen to keep him on as an assistant.

The pair have worked together as player and manager during their days at Leicester City, with Little bringing Carey to Filbert Street from Manchester United, and the new boss is confident they will form an excellent working relationship.

Carey took over in charge of the Dragons following the sacking of Denis Smith last January, and after an initial sticky patch, he eventually guided them to League safety with a win over Boston.

There was a level of optimism during the summer when Carey was officially handed the reigns at the Racecourse, but that has since turned to despair with the side back in the bottom two.

However, Little is sure he and Carey can forge a partnership that will see Wrexham climb the table and edge away from relegation.

"I have asked Brian to stay on," he added. "There is obviously a friendship, even though there was a player/manager relationship in place.

"He seems very pleased I'm coming, he's happy I'm here and I see no reason why we can't work together. I believe Brian Carey is a really first-class person and I'd like to think the relationship to be a good working relationship.

"We haven't talked about a title for him, I just really assured him that I wanted him to be at the club."

Little has been out of the managerial loop since leaving Tranmere Rovers by mutual consent 18 months ago, and while he was keen to return as a manager, he did state he has never fully turned his back on the game.

In fact through his work as a radio and TV pundit, Little pointed out that he has probably seen more football in the last season-and-a-half than most managers.

And he admits the "breather" away from the hustle and bustle as a boss has given him a change to re-educate himself in the finer parts of the game.

But now is the time to come back into the job and he believes Wrexham is the perfect place to ply his trade.

"I'm very keen to come back into football, I've spoken to several people over the last couple of months about a return," Little added. "One or two of them interested me and one or two of them didn't. This seemed like the right move.

"It's a big challenge for me. I know this as an excellent football club and I've been here many times with opposing clubs.

"The potential here was one of the major factors for coming.

"Irrespective of where the team are at the moment, it's a challenge that I'm looking forward to."

Wrexham are without a game this weekend because of international call-ups and Little believes that is a blessing in disguise. However, that does mean his first appointment as new manager will be the cross-border derby with Chester a week on Sunday - his 54th birthday no less.

But Little admits he may have to stick with the team he has inherited until the January transfer window reopens, however it is not something he is too upset about.

"Everything in my mind is positive at the moment," he said.

"I've got a lot of time to come in before the first game, and I've got an opportunity to learn all about people here. We've done a couple of practice sessions this morning and it was very important for me to get to look at the players.

"I've had a little bit of input already at the end of it and it is important that I come in now tomorrow and straight away take over the reigns."

And starting with a huge local derby for the North Wales club, Little added: "When I look back at my managerial career, generally my first game in charge has had a little bit of spice to it wherever I've been.

"I can go back to games, where I've left one team to go to another and low-and-behold their first game is against the team I've just left.

"It's the third time in my career that something big has fallen on my birthday.

"The first time was on my 21st when I scored two or three against Hartlepool in the FA Cup and then I joined Aston Villa on my 41st birthday and now the first game in charge of Wrexham will be on my 54th birthday.

"The nine or 10 days is giving me an opportunity to have some input. And I won't hide away from the fact that whatever goes on next Sunday, I will had a fair amount of input into it, so I'm looking forward to that"

'DEADLY' DOUG IN GLOWING TRIBUTE TO BRIAN LITTLE
Darren Devine - Western Mail

DEADLY Doug Ellis believes Wrexham have struck managerial gold in landing Brian Little as boss.

The former Aston Villa chairman with a reputation for ruthlessly deposing under-performing managers believes Little has the credentials to boss a Champions League side.

Ellis made Little manager in November 1994 and Villa went on to enjoy one of their most successful spells in years - winning the League Cup and finishing fourth in the Premiership.

They parted company in 1998 after Villa slumped into the bottom half of the table.

But Ellis maintains he never sacked Little and the manager left for personal reasons.

"He could be managing a Premier League club or certainly a Champions League club.

"He's an excellent manager and the only reason he resigned from Aston Villa was because he had a domestic problem.

"It's a very serious one which I won't disclose because he told me all about it confidentially.

"I knew full well why he resigned.

"But he went eventually to Stoke City and he married the secretary from there seven years ago and they're very happy. I'm delighted he's back in work."

Ellis originally took Little to Villa as a 14-year-old, but only after agreeing to take his brother Alan too.

While Alan went on to enjoy a career in the lower leagues both as a player and later as a manager his brother would become one half of a lethal strikeforce with Andy Gray at Villa Park.

Ellis said County Durham-born Little's mother wanted him to join Newcastle United or Sunderland so he could stay at home.

"When his mum and dad came down to sign the contract his mother said, 'Brian will not come to you.'

"But I said he'd been with us for two years as a kid. I said he'd been in a youth competition in Holland and there was no way he was going anywhere else.

"She said, 'Sunderland and Newcastle want him and he can live at home because he's a shy boy. If it was our Alan he'd go anywhere.'

"She said she was sure Alan could become a pro and they were Geordies so I listened to them.

"So I said, 'If I take Alan can I have Brian.' And that's exactly how I took Brian as an apprentice footballer."

Echoing former Villa midfielder Ian Taylor in yesterday's Western Mail Ellis said Little's man management skills set him apart from other club bosses.

"He'll bring honesty, integrity and thirdly man-management ability to Wrexham.

"He'll do a great job. I don't know what resources he would have made available to him, but he knows the game and is popular with football people in general, whether they be managers or directors.

"He knows the game inside out and I would think if anyone can get a favour in terms of a player on loan from another manager he will do the job."

At a press conference yesterday Little said former Wrexham boss Brian Carey has given him every impression he's willing to remain at the club and work alongside him.

Little signed Carey from Manchester United during a spell in charge of Leicester City.

"He seems very pleased I'm coming.

"He's happy I'm here and I see no reason why we can't work together.

"Brian Carey is a really first-class person and I've always felt he was a first-class player and I'd like to think the relationship to be a good working relationship. I've asked him to stay and he's given me no indication he doesn't want to. I'm looking forward to working alongside him." And the new man said he's relishing a first game in charge that promises to be a baptism of fire when the Dragons take on their most bitter rivals Chester City on November 25.

"Everything in my mind is positive at the moment and it should be as well.

"I've got a lot of time to come in before the first game.

"That means I've got an opportunity to learn all about people here.

"We've done a couple of practice sessions this morning and it was very important for me to get to look at the players.

"I've had a little bit of input already and it is important that I come in now tomorrow and straight away take over the reigns."

BRIAN LITTLE IS READY FOR THE CHALLENGE
Richard Williams - Wrexham Evening Leader

BRIAN LITTLE is relishing the challenge that lies ahead at Wrexham so send him your support via the Evening Leader.

Little, who was yesterday unveiled as the new manager at Wrexham, has the task of turning the Reds' dismal season around.

Wrexham are languishing second from bottom position in League Two having been beaten in 10 of their 14 matches this term, winning just three of those.

And Little, who has been in the management game for more than 20 years with high profile jobs in the Premiership with Leicester City and Aston Villa as well as in the lower divisions, believes his experience is key to improving Wrexham's position.

"There are many tough opportunities in this business these days," said Little. "Most opportunities like this come along when the club is generally on a decline on the field of play.

"I am hoping slightly different views on how it has been done for a little while will have some benefit.

"I have been in this situation before and it is a situation I feel I am capable of handling. It is all about having the right mentality.

"Some of the people perhaps have not had that experience and you can get dragged down.

"I said to the players, 'you need a leader and I am your leader.' I will make decisions, and I will tell you how to play, and I will tell you which way we are going to do things.

"At this moment in time they need guidance, someone to be strong and lift them when it is not going well.

"I would like to think I have got the experience to handle those different sorts of situations.

"It might be foolish of me to walk in here and think we are going to win the next 10 games in a row. That might not happen but I would like to think it could.

"We might have one or two tough times but I have been there, seen it, and whatever situations occur I have got the experience to help everyone through that."

Little's last managerial position was with Tranmere Rovers whom he left by mutual consent in May 2006.

Eager to return to the profession, Little was immediately interested in the position at Wrexham when the club's board announced last week they were looking to bring in a senior, experienced manager.

"When I knew something was happening here I spoke to one or two people and said will you please let them know that I am very interested," said Little.

"It was one of those occasions when the voice came back and said they were interested in me.

"We both had a common interest in what was here. In the meetings we had, there has been a very positive response from both sides are we are very keen to make it happen. We are hoping it is the right thing for the club.

"I am very keen to come back into football. I have spoken to several people over the last two or three months about a return. One or two interested me, one or two didn't.

"But the minute we met it just seemed like the right sort of thing.

"It is a great challenge for me. I know it is an excellent football club. I have been here on many occasions with opposing teams, and I feel there is a lot of potential here.

"The fact there is a great scope for potential was one of the major factors for coming.

"Irrespective of where the team is at the moment it is a challenge I am looking forward to and obviously the objectives are to try and turn the team's fortunes around because there is a lot of growth and progression available.

"It seems the right sort of thing for me and I am really looking forward to it."

Although he has not managed for 18 months, Little, who has been a pundit for Sky Sports in that time, believes he has not lost touch with what is required.

"I have educated myself all along for a job like this. I have probably watched more games than most managers have in the last year," added Little.

"I have put input into games through the media so I have been educating myself. I have never lost touch with football at this football, and I pretty much a focal point to many people in terms of contact.

"It might look as if I have been out of it for a while but I don't think I have. I have been firmly implanted in the middle of it all."