After searching high and low for a good manager to take over the managing of the Macedonian International squad, the Macedonian FA are rumoured to have gone for Brian Little instead.
"I can't help but feel this shows a complete lack of ambition by Macedonia," said Alan Hanson, football pundick and commentator. "They are never going to amount to much on the international stage with Little in charge."
Little, up until the news broke, was the manager of Conference North perennial underachievers Gainsborough Trinity. His shock departure comes just days before the start of the new season, leaving chairman Bill O'Neigh very little time to find a replacement and for that replacement to stamp his authority on the side before the campaign kicks off on August 13th.
"We've already sent out feelers," said O'Neigh, "looking for a suitable candidate, but it's early days yet. At the end of the day, I wouldn't expect anybody to jump straight into the hot seat to have a tilt at the title without us examining at least ten more football clichés first."
With Brian Little no longer at the helm at Gainsborough bookies have slashed the odds on the Lincolnshire side winning the league.
"Let's face it," said David Lucky, a bookmaker in Gainsborough, "If they ran around like headless chickens for ninety minutes they couldn't do any worse than they have in the past. Put a decent manager in front of O'Neigh's millions and they could be going places."
The holy grail of all Conference North teams is the Conference National.
"I think we've got a real chance without Little at the helm," said one happy fan. "It's the best news I've had in ages."
The Macedonian FA refused to qualify the rumours: "Why on earth would we want Little as manager?" asked Hektor Hekle, part time press secretary for the Macedonian FA and a butcher. "His only qualification for the job is that 'little' is Macedonian for 'cheap supermarket'."
