Brian Little has opened up about the exhaustion that undermined his brief tenure as Stoke City manager in the 1998-99 season. The former boss said he took the job too soon after a draining departure from Aston Villa, a decision that contributed to a spectacular mid-season collapse.

Little was tempted back into football during a solo holiday in Mallorca in May 1998. Agent Phil Smith contacted him there and persuaded him to attend an interview at the new Britannia Stadium. "I did well there but I packed in at the end of the year. I loved the club," Little said in a recent podcast interview. He initially saw it as a favour to a friend, having refused at first because Stoke were in the Third Division following relegation.

A stunning start and sudden slump

His impact was immediate. Stoke won their first six games and eight of their first nine, earning Little the manager of the month award for August and September. By the end of November, they had amassed 43 points from just 20 matches. Then the form vanished. Over the remaining 26 games, Stoke collected only 26 more points. They suffered a series of heavy defeats, losing 4-1 at home to Bristol Rovers and Burnley, 4-0 away at Bournemouth and Gillingham, and 4-0 at home to Reading. They finished the campaign in eighth place.

Little pointed to his state of mind after leaving Villa Park. "I had a really bad spell (at Villa) and then a really bad day. I was just getting pulled down on and off the field," he said. He described a final day that included a puncture in his car minutes from the ground and critical comments from former colleagues. Villa were around 15th and in a UEFA Cup quarter-final when he departed. Chairman Doug Ellis offered financial support, which Little initially declined, though money was later sent.

The legacy and a modern parallel

Financial constraints at Stoke also played a part, forcing Little to sell players without being able to sign replacements. He left the club at the season's end and famously disappeared on a motorbike in July 1999. Reflecting with fellow managers Tony Pulis and Mick McCarthy, Little joked about Pulis's Gillingham side battering his Stoke team 4-0. McCarthy quipped that a pint from Pulis now wouldn't erase the bitterness.

The story of a promising start undone by a prolonged slump serves as a historical contrast to the current team's resilience. Today's Stoke side sits 6th in the Championship with 13 points from eight games, showing the consistency Little's team lacked. Their recent form reads four wins and a draw from the last five, a run they will look to extend at Bolton on 10 October.

The original report is at The Sentinel