Jeff Shi Out

[cannockwolves]

FFS this old chestnut.

Give it a rest. Jeff and Chairman Guo are the ones who will decide when Jeff returns to China.

I suspect that Chairman Guo is rather pleased with Jeff. Luck or judgement he as side stepped FFP, got some great income in last summer, found a cheap and effective coach, looks like staying in the prem, taken a load of wages out without adversely effecting performance etc.

Play all that against some hypothetical problem we might experience if we get three or four injuries in the last 16 games.

If Luton average the same number of points they have got this season up to the end of the campaign they will scrape 33 - if they carry on performing as they have over the last 12 games they might make 39 points, but Forest have been in terrible form over the last 12 games. If they continue at that rate they will get 35 points.

The point is taking our form over the last 12 games we are on for 51/52 points - three wins almost certainly keeps us up.

No one is more surprised than me. I had us pegged for relegation. We have brought poorly - some of which is on Jeff, but when buying players you are dealing with Human Beings they get injured, home sick, lose confidence, don't settle, and fall out with the manager - that's life.

Stand back and think of the positives for once. We are likely to finish in the top ten of English football if we have good end to the season, if its bad we may be in the top 15. We are set up for the future better than 50% of the league, and some clubs will be well and truly in mire when the profit and sustainability rules kick in around wages to turnover. We have made a hell of a start to that, other will have to catch up and that means panicky sales in the summer - it will also supress some of the more stupid wage demands.

I am enjoying the entertainment for a change, and I think the future looks exciting for a change.

 

[Glow69]

Love how transfer windows get right under the skin and brings everything back up.

 

[sc91]

I will probably get some grief for saying this, but a couple of seasons ago under Lage, at about this time we were in contention for a champions league position. We didnt strengthen, and we collapsed and it carried on into the next season. We were probably a stronger squad than this one with less need for players in many respects and we still faded badly. Not saying its going to happen again, but we are only a couple of injuries in the forwards away from being in serious trouble. I said it the other day, relying on Fraser and Bellegarde as forward backup options is asking for trouble.

Lol.

Lage was the biggest fraud position in football, called it at the time when everyone lapping it up saying we aren't doing any good, just have had some great luck, was zero surprise it all fell apart, wasn't a case of strengthening, we just had some absolutely hilariously good luck.

 

[Glow69]

Lol.

Lage was the biggest fraud position in football, called it at the time when everyone lapping it up saying we aren't doing any good, just have had some great luck, was zero surprise it all fell apart, wasn't a case of strengthening, we just had some absolutely hilariously good luck.

Along with Sa turning into Buffon for the season.

 

[lycophilos]

I don’t think enough people understand what his remit is to be honest. He’s a “financials” guy who will work to whatever budget Fosun give him.

Precisely. However, Shi is a convenient scapegoat to be blamed for all wrong decisions, while given no credit for any right ones.

Of course, it may be true that Shi has been responsible for the wrong decisions. But it may also be true that he is responsible for the right ones. The problem is that very few, if any, of the posters on this forum have any real inside knowledge of the inner workings of Wolves' decision making. We can only go on public "knowledge", which is usually scanty, and often contradictory. And most will interpret that evidence according to their own biases and prejudices.

As for Fosun. I believe all sports clubs should be majority owned by the fans. But that hasn't been the case for a very long time in world or English football. And if you remember the position Wolves were in when Fosun took over, and compare the record since with the situation at most comparable clubs, I suggest that Fosun/Shi are very far from the worst performers.

 

[SmokeyGB]

Please please please stop beatin about Fabio Silva being the problem of FFP, look when we bought him.
' On 5 September 2020, Silva moved to English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers in a five-year deal for a club record fee[14] of a reported £35 million '
That was 3½ years ago, we've amortised that cost just about now and with a contract extension as well diluting it.
Try blaming other failed transfers which have put the handcuffs on the club.

Shi keeps getting moaned at not buying players ect, he has bouth players, just not the right players and what we thought was thr right prce.

Neto will be next to go for big money,
Gomes will be one to follow and wouldn't surprise me if Toti and Kilman follow suit as the profit margins will be massive and the club can plan/spend better (we hope for the future)..
Get use to the new system as what FOSUN always wanted, I've no issues as long as we don't stand still like Southampton and other clubs who have fallen by when the players of value were not there to be sold.

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

Please please please stop beatin about Fabio Silva being the problem of FFP, look when we bought him.
' On 5 September 2020, Silva moved to English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers in a five-year deal for a club record fee[14] of a reported £35 million '
That was 3½ years ago, we've amortised that cost just about now and with a contract extension as well diluting it.
Try blaming other failed transfers which have put the handcuffs on the club.

Shi keeps getting moaned at not buying players ect, he has bouth players, just not the right players and what we thought was thr right prce.

Neto will be next to go for big money,
Gomes will be one to follow and wouldn't surprise me if Toti and Kilman follow suit as the profit margins will be massive and the club can plan/spend better (we hope for the future)..
Get use to the new system as what FOSUN always wanted, I've no issues as long as we don't stand still like Southampton and other clubs who have fallen by when the players of value were not there to be sold.

Its debatable whether we are in a mess or not. Comfortably mid-table playing attractive football. Many of us would settle for that.

We made some lousy purchases and wasted lot of money. But others were involved in indentifying and recruiting them. Fosun have financial problems and seem to have lost ambition. So Shi has to cut his cloth.

However, Shi appointed his team, he raised our hopes about ground development and has tried to bull**** fans about branding and esports. I can't ever get over that.

The economic forecast is not good. But football is a massive money making machine. Hopefully we will get a new owner soon and start challenging again.

 

[Oldgoldilox]

As Jeff himself has said recently, he's a long term planner and thinker. He looks for the potential benefits of strategic planning over knee jerk short term re-actions. Which is all fine if your long term plan works.

Letting two forwards leave early in the window when a third is off to an international tournament for at least a month, can be rightly questioned. However, the club clearly believe that letting Sasa & Fabio go and get game time and opening up an opportunity for Fraser to get valuable experience is of long term benefit to all.

There's a number of counter arguments, not least of which, whilst we were without Hwang, why let them both leave so early in the window. Fabio & Sasa could have provided valuable options through January while we were short on bodies. Short and longer term goals could (should) have been considered.

Thing about all this though is that for us, football is all about the shorter term goal of beating the next opponent. Achieve that and everything else falls in to place. Fans dont care about PSR, accounts, sustainability, we just wanna beat Chelsea on Sunday, but Jeff has to. Difficult balance, but part of the modern game.

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

As Jeff himself has said recently, he's a long term planner and thinker. He looks for the potential benefits of strategic planning over knee jerk short term re-actions. Which is all fine if your long term plan works.

Letting two forwards leave early in the window when a third is off to an international tournament for at least a month, can be rightly questioned. However, the club clearly believe that letting Sasa & Fabio go and get game time and opening up an opportunity for Fraser to get valuable experience is of long term benefit to all.

There's a number of counter arguments, not least of which, whilst we were without Hwang, why let them both leave so early in the window. Fabio & Sasa could have provided valuable options through January while we were short on bodies. Short and longer term goals could (should) have been considered.

Thing about all this though is that for us, football is all about the shorter term goal of beating the next opponent. Achieve that and everything else falls in to place. Fans dont care about PSR, accounts, sustainability, we just wanna beat Chelsea on Sunday, but Jeff has to. Difficult balance, but part of the modern game.

Out of interest, can anyone give examples of Jeff Shi's strategic acumen and long term planning?

 

[Wolf316]

Out of interest, can anyone give examples of Jeff Shi's strategic acumen and long term planning?

You mean you don’t remember the millions and millions we got from esports and the record label?

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

We've gone extremely close to breaching FFP according to Shi, which is why we had to 'think like a newly-promoted club' this season, so that's his fault.

We've made many terrible football decisions since Nuno departed, which have largely been down to Jorge Mendes, both in terms of players brought in and Lage appointment. That's on Shi.

We're now doing well from a football perspective after it was reported that he had nothing to do with the process, and we no longer sign players he has been told about.

We are the only club in the league to consistently raise ticket prices in the past five years.

There are major doubts about his integrity in terms of what is said and what happens, Lopetegui being the obvious one of several examples.

It's really difficult to make a case that he's anything other than very poor for us in this role.

Even the financial side, he allowed a wage bill to rise and to pay transfer fees that left us in a position where we needed to sell like crazy this summer. FFP is a three-year rolling thing and we were left in a desperate situation this summer. It doesn't just creep up on you.
What if Saudi hadn't taken over football this summer? Every chance Neves isn't sold for £50m, then what?

 

[Oldgold Wolfcub]

We've gone extremely close to breaching FFP according to Shi, which is why we had to 'think like a newly-promoted club' this season, so that's his fault.

We've made many terrible football decisions since Nuno departed, which have largely been down to Jorge Mendes, both in terms of players brought in and Lage appointment. That's on Shi.

We're now doing well from a football perspective after it was reported that he had nothing to do with the process, and we no longer sign players he has been told about.

We are the only club in the league to consistently raise ticket prices in the past five years.

There are major doubts about his integrity in terms of what is said and what happens, Lopetegui being the obvious one of several examples.

It's really difficult to make a case that he's anything other than very poor for us in this role.

Even the financial side, he allowed a wage bill to rise and to pay transfer fees that left us in a position where we needed to sell like crazy this summer. FFP is a three-year rolling thing and we were left in a desperate situation this summer.
What if Saudi hadn't taken over football this summer? Every chance Neves isn't sold for £50m, then what?

I wish I could argue with you on the above but I simply cant.

 

[North West Wanderer]

you can call me Danny.

good answer

 

[Jefe]

What if Saudi hadn't taken over football this summer? Every chance Neves isn't sold for £50m, then what?

Jeff seems to have the luck of the Irish. He is extremely fortunate that the madmen of Al-Hilal rang up with their fantastical riches and that Pep was duped into believing Nunes is a world-class player.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

And now an own goal with Brighton pricing

The bloke doesn’t have a clue

 

[Jeru360]

While I’m disappointed we didn’t sign a striker, honestly I’m happy where we are. The start of the season was grim and I would have been happy with premier league and financial survival and it appears that we are getting both. I’m optimistic which is a big turnaround from last year.

 

[VancouverWolf]

The only opinion that matters is Guo’s and he has kept Jeff here for all these years.

Not hard to understand why……

Wolves were promoted and have been in the PL. since then and have, overall, performed pretty good, which was only achieved because Jeff brought in very good players.

Probably from Guo’s point of view, Jeff has been a very competent E.C. …….protecting his investment with no scandals, no bad p.r., etc.

 

[Monketron]

Love how transfer windows get right under the skin and brings everything back up.

I think we'd be ok with it if Shi just said from the start 'we're not signing anyone this window, there's no funds'. But when Shi clearly lies to the manager (2 windows and managers in a row now) about how we have funds - who then passes that information on to fans via press conferences, then mid-window comes out and changes that to say 'actually we have less than we thought so it's plan b signings only' to by the end of the window going 'there's actually no money, sorry!' that's when fans get - rightly imo - annoyed. The manager too I would imagine.

 

[Glow69]

I think we'd be ok with it if Shi just said from the start 'we're not signing anyone this window, there's no funds'. But when Shi clearly lies to the manager (2 windows and managers in a row now) about how we have funds - who then passes that information on to fans via press conferences, then mid-window comes out and changes that to say 'actually we have less than we thought so it's plan b signings only' to by the end of the window going 'there's actually no money, sorry!' that's when fans get - rightly imo - annoyed. The manager too I would imagine.

Isn't it just sense to not buy for the sake of buying though due to the predicament we were in financially that most clubs seem to be in aswell?

No money hasn't actually been said though has it? Just our budget isn't high enough at the moment to get who we want? If that's the case then tough **** isn't it.

Folk being been on about fraser having a chance then reality comes along and panic sets in..again. Good season with a good squad that's hasn't existed for 3 seasons, aint letting a transfer window and the obsession of buying get in the way of it.

 

[Ercall Wolves]

i thought Gary was a nobody. he isn’t. he’s one of the best up and coming managers in the world.

all jeff needed too do was give him some minor support, which he didn’t do because he was too busy tossing about with esports.

we’ll be waving bye bye to GON in the summer- the latest in a long line (over 50) disastrous decisions by Jeff Shi who is without doubt the worst ceo in the history of football eva.

i would rather have vicky sparks as our ceo than Jeff ‘generational’ shi.

the sooner the **** ****s off the sooner we can have a real club. with real fans

I’m confident GON will be here next season

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

I’m confident GON will be here next season

You mean... here today, GON tomorrow.

 

[Starsky]

On the current trajectory,GON will outgrow us unless things change in the Summer (with much of the immediate financial burden removed).

I'm not convinced things will change that much, unless we're sold.

 

[Ercall Wolves]

On the current trajectory,GON will outgrow us unless things change in the Summer (with much of the immediate financial shackles removed).

I'm not convinced things will change that much, unless we're sold.

I don’t think GON is going to outgrow us in the next few years at least

 

[Starsky]

I don’t think GON is going to outgrow us in the next few years at least

If the Summer window is like January, I'm not so sure tbh.

 

[Ercall Wolves]

If the Summer window is like January, I'm not so sure tbh.

Nah, overall Fosun have been very good for us and I don't see that changing anytime soon
GON will be backed in the summer
We are very lucky to have Fosun

 

[Starsky]

GON will be backed in the summer

Hope you're right mate!

 

[BlahBlah]

Neto will be next to go for big money,
Gomes will be one to follow and wouldn't surprise me if Toti and Kilman follow suit as the profit margins will be massive and the club can plan/spend better (we hope for the future)..
Get use to the new system as what FOSUN always wanted, I've no issues as long as we don't stand still like Southampton and other clubs who have fallen by when the players of value were not there to be sold.

That's a good post. The old style of football club management and signing people for life is a million miles away from what we've constructed today.
Every club now has to be a commodity trader, it is all about the supply line and keeping it ticking over both importing and exporting to keep ourselves in business.

 

[Mugwump]

Even if we maintain our mostly good fortune with injuries until the rest of the season, players do hit spells of poor form, which can become crises of confidence if they are forced to play through them owing to a lack of competition. Even in this phase of the season where it can be said Gary has done well, there was still a spell where we only took 8 points from 8 games. You can forget Europe if we have another one of those; that would put us 12 points behind the team who were 7th after GW30 last season.

Obviously not trying to get ahead of ourselves and say Lage MK2 is happening, but you do wonder what psychological and morale damage missing out on a goal causes a manager and his group, if they feel they weren't backed, and are left grappling with the "what ifs". I'd love to know what the players think of Shi.

Confidence and momentum are a big thing in football. We are on a roll at the moment but as you said, at one stage we weren't and as we have seen in the past, doesnt take much sometimes for things to flip on their heads.

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

That's a good post. The old style of football club management and signing people for life is a million miles away from what we've constructed today.
Every club now has to be a commodity trader, it is all about the supply line and keeping it ticking over both importing and exporting to keep ourselves in business.

Makes us sound like Trotters Independent Traders.

 

[Premier Quality]

i thought Gary was a nobody. he isn’t. he’s one of the best up and coming managers in the world.

all jeff needed too do was give him some minor support, which he didn’t do because he was too busy tossing about with esports.

we’ll be waving bye bye to GON in the summer- the latest in a long line (over 50) disastrous decisions by Jeff Shi who is without doubt the worst ceo in the history of football eva.

i would rather have vicky sparks as our ceo than Jeff ‘generational’ shi.

the sooner the **** ****s off the sooner we can have a real club. with real fans

Switched your target then?

 

[Golden Arrow]

Nah, overall Fosun have been very good for us and I don't see that changing anytime soon
GON will be backed in the summer
We are very lucky to have Fosun

Brave statement I thought at first regarding "backing" (which I assume you mean financially), but then again probably correct as some of the income from the sale of Neto will hopefully go in to the transfer kitty. Unless of course, you were referring to FFP and PSR constraints.

 

[Ercall Wolves]

Brave statement I thought at first regarding "backing" (which I assume you mean financially), but then again probably correct as some of the income from the sale of Neto will hopefully go in to the transfer kitty. Unless of course, you were referring to FFP and PSR constraints.

I believe Fosun have been very good to us in all aspects
Yes I believe GON will be backed financially in the summer and they have gone to the wire with FFP, I don’t think financially they could have done anymore

 

[Golden Arrow]

I believe Fosun have been very good to us in all aspects
Yes I believe GON will be backed financially in the summer and they have gone to the wire with FFP, I don’t think financially they could have done anymore

So do you believe that the recent transfer speculation was a smokescreen or was there something in the pot to potentially bring in a player(s)?

 

[yateleywolf]

I would of thought having sold so much over the summer we would be OK by now but it's a great opt out for any club now FFP when no money spent.
The owners wanted it and you can see why from their perspective.
Just hope the season Just doesn't just fizzle out due to injuries and suspensions.
I would like see Shi move on and get a new face from Fosun at the club.

 

[wolfslair]

i know this was posted on another
thread but it’s more relevant here…

https://twitter.com/x/status/1753363224026649004

thanks very much

So yet again, from the quotes from GON almost mirroring those by JL, it seems likely that the finances weren’t as good as thought at the start when planning.

So it makes the line people won’t accept about Jeff lying to JL about transfers and constant moving of goal posts even more believable.

Jeff doesn’t seem to run a very accurate shop when it comes to setting budgets or running finances well……. That is Worrying for a bloke who is there for his financial skills over the football knowledge.

 

[Ercall Wolves]

So do you believe that the recent transfer speculation was a smokescreen or was there something in the pot to potentially bring in a player(s)?

No idea but I’m assuming (based on nothing) they was trying to bring in a forward but couldn’t get the quality of player GON wanted on the our very tight budget because of FFP

 

[Wolf316]

No idea but I’m assuming (based on nothing) they was trying to bring in a forward but couldn’t get the quality of player GON wanted on the our very tight budget because of FFP

Better to wait for the summer than spend now on someone not good enough.

 

[loppers86]

So yet again, from the quotes from GON almost mirroring those by JL, it seems likely that the finances weren’t as good as thought at the start when planning.

So it makes the line people won’t accept about Jeff lying to JL about transfers and constant moving of goal posts even more believable.

Jeff doesn’t seem to run a very accurate shop when it comes to setting budgets or running finances well……. That is Worrying for a bloke who is there for his financial skills over the football knowledge.

i’d say it’s more than that, it’s a smoking gun.

Shi habitually deceives his closest employees.

 

[Wisdomwolf]

So yet again, from the quotes from GON almost mirroring those by JL, it seems likely that the finances weren’t as good as thought at the start when planning.

So it makes the line people won’t accept about Jeff lying to JL about transfers and constant moving of goal posts even more believable.

Jeff doesn’t seem to run a very accurate shop when it comes to setting budgets or running finances well……. That is Worrying for a bloke who is there for his financial skills over the football knowledge.

And yet quite different from GON’s direct quotes in the last couple of days. For a moment just reflect on the tone and similarity of comments by Arteta, De Zerbi, Ten Hag etc. My sense is Everton and Forest will be sanctioned and it’s send reverberations around the league. We are also preparing for life where within a couple of seasons the 70% squad cost limits will come into play. What was pleasing to hear from GON is wages were not an issue but capital was. As others have said we have prepared for the above for a while and will not have the same pain to endure as many others.

 

[North West Wanderer]

So yet again, from the quotes from GON almost mirroring those by JL, it seems likely that the finances weren’t as good as thought at the start when planning.

So it makes the line people won’t accept about Jeff lying to JL about transfers and constant moving of goal posts even more believable.

Jeff doesn’t seem to run a very accurate shop when it comes to setting budgets or running finances well……. That is Worrying for a bloke who is there for his financial skills over the football knowledge.

who doesn’t believe that the budget changed? Lies is an extreme word?

The issue a lot have with Lopetegui is how he went about it.