South Bank

[Bogota Wolf]

How are on earth are Fosun just letting their investment deteriorate in such a way?

IMHO naivety. IMHO, in detail, it all comes back to the limited Chinese Fosun decision-making system in relation to elite football. I have direct experience in mainland China of the same problem in another sector and I see that it just keeps repeating itself due to a lack of embedded and trusting intercultural business understanding in a world full of sharks. In my experience, they often put a trusted place person in charge with zero knowledge of the particular industry. They get rid of or lose the 'with it' local leaders after investing a big initial sum and perhaps a rescue sum like the hundred million of this last close season. Sadly, they get taken for a ride - we know by whom - in their naive ways by the sharks, and they have nobody strong like a Director of Football or Manager to make strong sensible decisions that will be listened to. The result is what we have at Wolves and its not just non-scoring forwards and midfielders or an extremely thin squad, it's the complete breakdown and disfunction of the leadership and management structure from top to bottom. Good and indeed average employees will continue to walk and there we will be, back to square one in the Championship... unless there's a miracle at Christmas. Still it broke the monotony of 40 years of Everton style boredom, but from a lower level. I did enjoy the brief ride. I am not at all happy but not surprised in the slightest. KTF UTW

 

[VancouverWolf]

How much are club paying you lol

But the man who knows nothing about football has decreed there is no outstanding candidates hahahahahhahahaahaha

You trust a man who has entrusted our clubs premier league survival on league one/two level coach to make the right decision?

To say there is no manager better than the guys doing it now is ****ing laughable and frankly ****ing offensive to fans paying their money to watch this **** during the worst cost of living crisis to hit our country in a city that isn’t affluent.

Charged us more money for this ****?

But don’t worry, the sale was 30% it will be 45% now for all the sheep and plastics to be happy and think they are doing a good job…..

I think it’s obvious to everyone that the football side of the club is not doing very well.at the moment. In fact not since before Covid.

 

[VancouverWolf]

The players are good enough and a decent coach will get us up the table. Do need a striker in January mind.

We’re so bad right now that I have little hope that we can attract any good players in Jan.
I wonder if Collins, Nunes and Guedes were even our primary targets……did better players not accept an offer to join us last window?
I‘d be surprised if it didn’t happen.

 

[sillytuna]

It's on Shi now. So many staff have left the club and not been replaced and it's all collapsing around him. You can't manage the playing and management staff like this.

No idea about sellars but by all accounts shi has total control anyway so he's the real problem.

I think the Nuno years went to his head and what was once just an iffy transfer window or two has evolved into an absolute disaster where we have no soul, no goalscorers, only 2 cbs, and too many players well past their best due to age or injury.

Jonny, raul, and moutinho should be nowhere near this team (raul - we fans weren't aware the extent of his health issues). Instead we got rid of the workers and heart of the squad in one unplanned go instead of evolving it.

Lage was useless but I wasn't aware multiple players were sold from underneath him at the last minute and not replaced - how can any manager work like that?

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

How are on earth are Fosun just letting their investment deteriorate in such a way?

Dunno. For three years the club has seen decline. The transfer strategy has been poor, overspending in areas that were not a priority and a lack of investment where it was needed.

Our greatest manager for a generation was shown the door in a knee jerk reaction to an injury ravaged season and investment in the wrong areas of the squad.

Nuno's replacement has proven to be a disaster. Lage failed to inspire his team and the fans and was allowed to destroy a PL squad capable of digging in when the **** hit the fan.

Lage's inevitable sacking seemed to catch the club by surprise, with no plan of succession and no clear direction for the club moving forward.

The loss of men like Thelwell and Dalrymple were met with the same surprise, again with no plan in place to replace them sufficiently.

The one constant here being Jeff Shi. He was fortunate to inherit competent staff on an upward trajectory and hit the jackpot with Mendes' appointment of Nuno.

Guo needs to get shot of Shi and employ a CEO with a proven track record in the business. Shi's luck has ran out, it's time he "saved face" and ****ed off.

 

[Wolf316]

Dunno. For three years the club has seen decline. The transfer strategy has been poor, overspending in areas that were not a priority and a lack of investment where it was needed.

Our greatest manager for a generation was shown the door in a knee jerk reaction to an injury ravaged season and investment in the wrong areas of the squad.

Nuno's replacement has proven to be a disaster. Lage failed to inspire his team and the fans and was allowed to destroy a PL squad capable of digging in when the **** hit the fan.

Lage's inevitable sacking seemed to catch the club by surprise, with no plan of succession and no clear direction for the club moving forward.

The loss of men like Thelwell and Dalrymple were met with the same surprise, again with no plan in place to replace them sufficiently.

The one constant here being Jeff Shi. He was fortunate to inherit competent staff on an upward trajectory and hit the jackpot with Mendes' appointment of Nuno.

Guo needs to get shot of Shi and employ a CEO with a proven track record in the business. Shi's luck has ran out, it's time he "saved face" and ****ed off.

100% agree.

 

[Darvo]

Dunno. For three years the club has seen decline. The transfer strategy has been poor, overspending in areas that were not a priority and a lack of investment where it was needed.

Our greatest manager for a generation was shown the door in a knee jerk reaction to an injury ravaged season and investment in the wrong areas of the squad.

Nuno's replacement has proven to be a disaster. Lage failed to inspire his team and the fans and was allowed to destroy a PL squad capable of digging in when the **** hit the fan.

Lage's inevitable sacking seemed to catch the club by surprise, with no plan of succession and no clear direction for the club moving forward.

The loss of men like Thelwell and Dalrymple were met with the same surprise, again with no plan in place to replace them sufficiently.

The one constant here being Jeff Shi. He was fortunate to inherit competent staff on an upward trajectory and hit the jackpot with Mendes' appointment of Nuno.

Guo needs to get shot of Shi and employ a CEO with a proven track record in the business. Shi's luck has ran out, it's time he "saved face" and ****ed off.

Yep ... SHI OUT NOW!

 

[Ned]

Dunno. For three years the club has seen decline. The transfer strategy has been poor, overspending in areas that were not a priority and a lack of investment where it was needed.

Our greatest manager for a generation was shown the door in a knee jerk reaction to an injury ravaged season and investment in the wrong areas of the squad.

Nuno's replacement has proven to be a disaster. Lage failed to inspire his team and the fans and was allowed to destroy a PL squad capable of digging in when the **** hit the fan.

Lage's inevitable sacking seemed to catch the club by surprise, with no plan of succession and no clear direction for the club moving forward.

The loss of men like Thelwell and Dalrymple were met with the same surprise, again with no plan in place to replace them sufficiently.

The one constant here being Jeff Shi. He was fortunate to inherit competent staff on an upward trajectory and hit the jackpot with Mendes' appointment of Nuno.

Guo needs to get shot of Shi and employ a CEO with a proven track record in the business. Shi's luck has ran out, it's time he "saved face" and ****ed off.

Bang on. This is absolutely all down to Jeff Shi.

Bloke is an absolute calamity of a chairman or whatever he is. Put it this way; Fosun have so many investments and companies that they own/run and Wolves is probably one of the least valuable - there’s a reason they sent us Jeff Shi and not somebody half competant.

We’ve had some great times when he has been at the club but how many of the great times have been down to Jeff?! Most of them are down to Mendes, let’s be honest here.

 

[Rhoswolf]

Dunno. For three years the club has seen decline. The transfer strategy has been poor, overspending in areas that were not a priority and a lack of investment where it was needed.

Our greatest manager for a generation was shown the door in a knee jerk reaction to an injury ravaged season and investment in the wrong areas of the squad.

Nuno's replacement has proven to be a disaster. Lage failed to inspire his team and the fans and was allowed to destroy a PL squad capable of digging in when the **** hit the fan.

Lage's inevitable sacking seemed to catch the club by surprise, with no plan of succession and no clear direction for the club moving forward.

The loss of men like Thelwell and Dalrymple were met with the same surprise, again with no plan in place to replace them sufficiently.

The one constant here being Jeff Shi. He was fortunate to inherit competent staff on an upward trajectory and hit the jackpot with Mendes' appointment of Nuno.

Guo needs to get shot of Shi and employ a CEO with a proven track record in the business. Shi's luck has ran out, it's time he "saved face" and ****ed off.

Never forget the vociferous minority who called for Nuno's head for not "letting off the handbrake" going 4 at the back and breaking into the top 6. How right they were and how pleased they must feel.

 

[Rhyl Wolf]

Maybe @Rhyl Wolf could find them a job on the beach.

Ha. Sadly, the donkeys were put out to pasture many years ago. All is not lost. Panto season is nearly upon us & Aladdin is in town. What would Wolves fans do with a lamp and 3 wishes??

 

[wolfslair]

I think it’s obvious to everyone that the football side of the club is not doing very well.at the moment. In fact not since before Covid.

But you keep defending and excusing the clowns who have caused this……

 

[Wagstaffe Was Magic]

I’m the type of fan who tries to support the team and the club in good times and in bad !!!
I don’t play the blame game and would hope I’m not part of the blame culture!!
The margins are so fine between success and failure. If Costa scores at the far post, or Podence with his shot, it’s a different day and a different result!!
Jeff Shi and Fosun presided over the successes we have had in the recent years.
I can’t remember Jeff receiving any thanks or the South Bank chanting his name when the balloon and the stock was rising!!

 

[Rangiora Wolf]

Bang on. This is absolutely all down to Jeff Shi.

Bloke is an absolute calamity of a chairman or whatever he is. Put it this way; Fosun have so many investments and companies that they own/run and Wolves is probably one of the least valuable - there’s a reason they sent us Jeff Shi and not somebody half competant.

We’ve had some great times when he has been at the club but how many of the great times have been down to Jeff?! Most of them are down to Mendes, let’s be honest here.

I think your 2nd paragraph sums it up. An investment company with a huge portfolio of which we are merely a small part of. I think I'd rather be part of a consortium focussed on the club rather than this.

 

[Rhoswolf]

I’m the type of fan who tries to support the team and the club in good times and in bad !!!
I don’t play the blame game and would hope I’m not part of the blame culture!!
The margins are so fine between success and failure. If Costa scores at the far post, or Podence with his shot, it’s a different day and a different result!!
Jeff Shi and Fosun presided over the successes we have had in the recent years.
I can’t remember Jeff receiving any thanks or the South Bank chanting his name when the balloon and the stock was rising!!

Good for you as posted elsewhere my ST available for next 3 home games do you want it, if so message me?

 

[wolfslair]

We’re so bad right now that I have little hope that we can attract any good players in Jan.
I wonder if Collins, Nunes and Guedes were even our primary targets……did better players not accept an offer to join us last window?
I‘d be surprised if it didn’t happen.

Completely agree mate, it shows why the additions on the whole happened so late.

 

[wolfslair]

It's on Shi now. So many staff have left the club and not been replaced and it's all collapsing around him. You can't manage the playing and management staff like this.

No idea about sellars but by all accounts shi has total control anyway so he's the real problem.

I think the Nuno years went to his head and what was once just an iffy transfer window or two has evolved into an absolute disaster where we have no soul, no goalscorers, only 2 cbs, and too many players well past their best due to age or injury.

Jonny, raul, and moutinho should be nowhere near this team (raul - we fans weren't aware the extent of his health issues). Instead we got rid of the workers and heart of the squad in one unplanned go instead of evolving it.

Lage was useless but I wasn't aware multiple players were sold from underneath him at the last minute and not replaced - how can any manager work like that?

The bloke is moving himself closer in terms of legacy to the bhattis every week.

That is so sad with how all of this is playing out, when you think of all the good they had been doing previously.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Can we not start having a go at our own?
If you have got something you want to sing, sing it. If you don't want to sing something other people are singing don't sing it.
We ain't ever all going to all have the same voice. That is true of any set of fans not just us.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

I’m the type of fan who tries to support the team and the club in good times and in bad !!!
I don’t play the blame game and would hope I’m not part of the blame culture!!
The margins are so fine between success and failure. If Costa scores at the far post, or Podence with his shot, it’s a different day and a different result!!
Jeff Shi and Fosun presided over the successes we have had in the recent years.
I can’t remember Jeff receiving any thanks or the South Bank chanting his name when the balloon and the stock was rising!!

It's how I feel too. It will take us going down for me to want Shi and Fosun out. Not sold on Sellars, bit if we did sack him tomorrow it would be ages before it would have an effect on anything.

 

[Hot Fuss]

I’m the type of fan who tries to support the team and the club in good times and in bad !!!
I don’t play the blame game and would hope I’m not part of the blame culture!!
The margins are so fine between success and failure. If Costa scores at the far post, or Podence with his shot, it’s a different day and a different result!!
Jeff Shi and Fosun presided over the successes we have had in the recent years.
I can’t remember Jeff receiving any thanks or the South Bank chanting his name when the balloon and the stock was rising!!

We’ve scored 5 ****ing goals in 12 games. It’s not “fine lines” at all. We’re ****ing ****.

 

[Stafford]

Can we not start having a go at our own?
If you have got something you want to sing, sing it. If you don't want to sing something other people are singing don't sing it.
We ain't ever all going to all have the same voice. That is true of any set of fans not just us.

Yes they are. But the chants feel very harsh on someone who has had less to do with the failings.

And the reason is because someone has to take the brunt and the fans aren't ready to turn on Fosun just yet.
Very similar to the current scene in some ways.

 

[The Wolf Of Wombourne]

If Moxey was in charge of this there would be chants of sack the board after 15 minutes.

 

[WickedWolfie]

We’ve scored 5 ****ing goals in 12 games. It’s not “fine lines” at all. We’re ****ing ****.

.... and, scarily, getting worse.

 

[Rhoswolf]

Yes they are. But the chants feel very harsh on someone who has had less to do with the failings.

And the reason is because someone has to take the brunt and the fans aren't ready to turn on Fosun just yet.
Very similar to the current scene in some ways.

More than happy to turn on Jeff and Fosun, be delighted if they sell up.

 

[Ponty]

What do you think is our best chance out of trouble??

Three teams being deducted a lot of points!

 

[Flea]

We’ve scored 5 ****ing goals in 12 games. It’s not “fine lines” at all. We’re ****ing ****.

We also lost 0-4 at Molineux against the second to bottom side leaguewise before the match.
Fine margins?
Just look at our stats since early spring..it is not fine margins at all.
We are the worst team in Premier League for a number of reasons.
Fine margins certainly isn´t one of them.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

If Shi was so in Mendes' pocket we wouldn't have come within a hair's breadth of appointing Beale. we'd have had Nuno as soon as Lopetegui turned us down.

I’m not sure it’s that Shi is in Mendes’s pocket, more that he doesn’t have a bloody clue without his advice, and that’s clearly not a healthy situation given he’s an agent not an employee of Wolves. Sellars perhaps like to think he provides some independent thought, but I’m not sure he has much more of a clue than Shi. It’s an absolute shambles.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

I’m the type of fan who tries to support the team and the club in good times and in bad !!!
I don’t play the blame game and would hope I’m not part of the blame culture!!
The margins are so fine between success and failure. If Costa scores at the far post, or Podence with his shot, it’s a different day and a different result!!
Jeff Shi and Fosun presided over the successes we have had in the recent years.
I can’t remember Jeff receiving any thanks or the South Bank chanting his name when the balloon and the stock was rising!!

Jeff was lauded. You have a short memory. We sang "Shi's electric" on the south bank. So don't give me that, he was slapped on the back when times were good but the buck stops with him and it's time for some face slapping.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

I’m the type of fan who tries to support the team and the club in good times and in bad !!!
I don’t play the blame game and would hope I’m not part of the blame culture!!
The margins are so fine between success and failure. If Costa scores at the far post, or Podence with his shot, it’s a different day and a different result!!
Jeff Shi and Fosun presided over the successes we have had in the recent years.
I can’t remember Jeff receiving any thanks or the South Bank chanting his name when the balloon and the stock was rising!!

Shi has rightly been praised on here, including by myself, for all the good he and Fosun did. He is also utterly responsible for the doggy do we are in now. Make no mistake, having watched today’s abject performance and a few others this season, we are going down unless there is radical change quickly. It’s not fine margins, it’s a team with no plan and zero fight in it facing a relegation fight. That’s a recipe for relegation.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

More than happy to turn on Jeff and Fosun, be delighted if they sell up.

It's not time to turn on Fosun. It's time for Fosun to act and install some knowhow in the Wolves hierarchy. Fosun have been brilliant for Wolves, but it's time to act NOW.

 

[WickedWolfie]

It's not time to turn on Fosun. It's time for Fosun to act and install some knowhow in the Wolves hierarchy. Fosun have been brilliant for Wolves, but it's time to act NOW.

My beef is with Shi not Fosun. That could change if he carries on as he is though....

 

[Sussex Wolf]

It's not time to turn on Fosun. It's time for Fosun to act and install some knowhow in the Wolves hierarchy. Fosun have been brilliant for Wolves, but it's time to act NOW.

100%

Said before, there is a way out of this hole. Sellars needs to go, Shi needs to step out managing the footballs side of the club, and Fosun need to employ an experienced MD or DoF who can hire a coach who has the skills and fit necessary for the club, and who can also review the football leadership team and backroom staff, and ensure we have a small but capable team to run the football side of the club within the financial envelope Fosun dictates. I have no issue with Shi continuing his role as head of Fosun Sports Group, as long as control of footballing at Wolves is not part of his remit.

 

[Rhoswolf]

It's not time to turn on Fosun. It's time for Fosun to act and install some knowhow in the Wolves hierarchy. Fosun have been brilliant for Wolves, but it's time to act NOW.

Each to their own, no fan of Chinese ownership.

 

[Kcb92]

Th

Dunno. For three years the club has seen decline. The transfer strategy has been poor, overspending in areas that were not a priority and a lack of investment where it was needed.

Our greatest manager for a generation was shown the door in a knee jerk reaction to an injury ravaged season and investment in the wrong areas of the squad.

Nuno's replacement has proven to be a disaster. Lage failed to inspire his team and the fans and was allowed to destroy a PL squad capable of digging in when the **** hit the fan.

Lage's inevitable sacking seemed to catch the club by surprise, with no plan of succession and no clear direction for the club moving forward.

The loss of men like Thelwell and Dalrymple were met with the same surprise, again with no plan in place to replace them sufficiently.

The one constant here being Jeff Shi. He was fortunate to inherit competent staff on an upward trajectory and hit the jackpot with Mendes' appointment of Nuno.

Guo needs to get shot of Shi and employ a CEO with a proven track record in the business. Shi's luck has ran out, it's time he "saved face" and ****ed off.

Agree with every word. Spot on!

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Each to their own, no fan of Chinese ownership.

It's not ideal, but what's the realistic alternative? US owned? Arab owned? Oligarch owned?

In a perfect World we'd have investment from local billionaires and the fans would be majority stakeholders with zero investment. But we live in the real World.

 

[Eastern Wolf]

It's not time to turn on Fosun. It's time for Fosun to act and install some knowhow in the Wolves hierarchy. Fosun have been brilliant for Wolves, but it's time to act NOW.

Fosun have put up the money but it not been spent wisely by Shi and his cronies. So my beef is not with Fosun. But they have to start looking more deeply into the affairs at Wolves now. Surely they have someone more capable than Shi in their massive global organisation? Shi has done his stint, send him back to Shanghai. Let some else have a go now.

 

[Rangiora Wolf]

Fosun have put up the money but it not been spent wisely by Shi and his cronies. So my beef is not with Fosun. But they have to start looking more deeply into the affairs at Wolves now. Surely they have someone more capable than Shi in their massive global organisation? Shi has done his stint, send him back to Shanghai. Let some else have a go now.

In any other profession there would be regular performance reviews. If this performance was repeated anywhere else at that level, they would be shown the door. All very strange. Almost as though they throw a bit of money at it from time time as one of their hundreds of investments and dont give a **** if it comes off or not.

 

[Andy]

Can we not start having a go at our own?
If you have got something you want to sing, sing it. If you don't want to sing something other people are singing don't sing it.
We ain't ever all going to all have the same voice. That is true of any set of fans not just us.

Absolutely right. It's ****ing annoying how many people are having a dig at other fans for having a different opinion on things over the last few years just because things are **** right now.

Main one I've noticed seems to be, "Oh you wanted four at the back did you? Well I hope you're happy now!"

No fan is responsible for the mismanagement of the club.

 

[Bogota Wolf]

It's on Shi now. So many staff have left the club and not been replaced and it's all collapsing around him. You can't manage the playing and management staff like this.

No idea about sellars but by all accounts shi has total control anyway so he's the real problem.

I think the Nuno years went to his head and what was once just an iffy transfer window or two has evolved into an absolute disaster where we have no soul, no goalscorers, only 2 cbs, and too many players well past their best due to age or injury.

Jonny, raul, and moutinho should be nowhere near this team (raul - we fans weren't aware the extent of his health issues). Instead we got rid of the workers and heart of the squad in one unplanned go instead of evolving it.

Lage was useless but I wasn't aware multiple players were sold from underneath him at the last minute and not replaced - how can any manager work like that?

Fully agreed. I hate to say this but perhaps we rose too high too quickly after being promoted. Thus a deep seated 'this is easy' mentality developed in certain minds. The truth is that the base was not well constructed with strong foundations, our system on the pitch got found out, quality employees were driven out and our players were driven into the ground until it all cracked open and started falling apart.
A question for anyone... do we now have any employees looking at post-match analysis, individual performance and pre-next match opposition analysis, or have they all departed with Nuno and Lage? If they're absent until the new Head Coach arrives then we are in deep, deep **** and it's all over like it was under the unfortunate Terry Connor.

 

[DasWolf]

Absolutely right. It's ****ing annoying how many people are having a dig at other fans for having a different opinion on things over the last few years just because things are **** right now.

Main one I've noticed seems to be, "Oh you wanted four at the back did you? Well I hope you're happy now!"

No fan is responsible for the mismanagement of the club.

Don't forget the part Andy where if you say even a slightly negative thing about the slow motion car crash that the last couple of seasons have been, you're just someone who is never happy and always looking to complain, and how it's your fault for not getting behind the team.

People have been calling out the bad decisions for the last several years, and most of the time we've been shouted down. And look where we are.

As it stands right now, the best case scenario is we stay up and have any remaining talent taken, while we have to continue paying crocked, lazy, or players who are otherwise past it. The worst case is we get relegated and have to do the above without PL money.

This club needs a competent team of staff across all areas, and it needs them yesterday. Not a team of yes men and sycophantic fans who will praise Jeff no matter what decisions are made.

 

[Willywolf]

It's how I feel too. It will take us going down for me to want Shi and Fosun out. Not sold on Sellars, bit if we did sack him tomorrow it would be ages before it would have an effect on anything.

Tbf, even if we go down, I wouldn’t want Fosun/Shi out necessarily. But I do think Jeff needs some help in the form of a well respected, well connected and highly effective director of football. Where he finds that is a different question.
The biggest problem for me recently is the claptrap that has come from the club in terms of replacing Bruno and leaving a youth team coach in charge of the senior team.