There was big news at Wolves on Friday as Jeff Shi stepped down as chairman – and Nathan Shi is his replacement.
Jeff Shi left his post in the lead up to Wolves’ game with Brentford, which came as quite the surprise.
Pressure had obviously been mounting on him from fans. But he had been an unpopular figure for a long time and always remained in place.
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Nathan Shi has replaced Jeff Shi as interim chairman after the latter stepped down…
Just recently though, things had gotten particularly bad, and the interview he did with BBC Radio West Midlands drew him a lot of attention, including from Fosun.
Things developed quickly, and by Friday he was no longer the chairman.
And now, Nathan Shi (no relation), has replaced him on an interim basis, and there is word of how life could be with him at the helm.
What is set to happen next at Wolves under Nathan Shi
There is relief for some internally at Wolves about Jeff Shi leaving.
It was claimed recently that Jeff’s dominance had left some staff members frustrated, as he would force through decisions that would not be popular.
He held all the power, but did not have the competence.
Jeff no longer has operational duties at Wolves and Nathan Shi will now hope to help get Wolves out of this mess.
Rob Edwards has already praised Nathan Shi, believing he is aligned with him and everyone else heading into January.
And a report from the Daily Mail does paint an encouraging picture of him.
It is reported that Nathan speaks very good English and has already impressed senior figures. But given his lack of experience, ‘the leadership team around him should wield far more influence than before’. It is unrealistic that he will control matters in the same way Jeff did.
And interestingly, there is a line about the potential for him to remain in the position permanently.
It’s stated that while Fosun are actively looking for a replacement for Jeff, it is ‘not impossible’ that Nathan takes the job long term. Fans should expect him to be in place for most of the rest of the season, if not all of it.
Jeff Shi has left behind a total mess
We will see how Nathan gets on, but there is no denying that his predecessor has left behind a total mess.
Jeff signed off on major decisions at Wolves as chairman, and played a huge role in the construction of what is now widely regarded as one of the worst Premier League squads ever.
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Realistically, Nathan will be tasked with preparing Wolves as best he can for life in the Championship next season.
It seems things are still a bit up in the air regarding the length of his stay.
But it certainly sounds like it’s not out of the question he could get the job on a permanent basis.
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