Wolves chairman Jeff Shi was not present for the talks that resulted in Julen Lopetegui leaving the club, and also not there for the hiring of Gary O’Neil.
It has been a whirlwind past few days at Compton Park, and a pretty crazy summer.
Lopetegui is no longer the head coach at Molineux, after voicing his displeasure about the club’s financial situation.
Lopetegui is understood to have felt the club moved the goalposts on him on more than one occasion.
On Tuesday Wolves announced that he had left the club, and yesterday Gary O’Neil was announced as his successor.
Lopetegui actually first informed Wolves that he wanted out just after the Celtic game.
He stayed to oversee a transition, with Wolves interviewing candidates including O’Neil.
You would think that such an important thing would have all the top figures there.
But there was apparently no sign of Shi, which will perhaps come as no surprise to a lot of Wolves fans…
Jeff Shi absent for Lopetegui exit talks and O’Neil hiring process
Shi recently communicated with the Wolves fans via an open letter, which received a mixed response.
That pointed to him being present at the club and involved at such a difficult time.
But Shi’s involvement in the managerial has been discussed on the latest Express & Star podcast. And he actually wasn’t there for the Lopetegui exit talks or the O’Neil hiring process.
Journalist Liam Keen said: “Matt Hobbs was leading it (Lopetegui exit talks), entirely. Jeff Shi has been in China for a little bit and I believe he’s not back until the end of the month. He wasn’t at Compton, he wasn’t at the meeting. He wasn’t involved in the negotiation pay-off. Matt Hobbs led it and I would imagine there would have been some sort of staff and other board members involved as well.
“It’s been described to me as more of an emotional thing. Where they were sad that it came to an end, rather than an angry separation.
“He also wasn’t involved in the interview process for the successor. Hobbs completely led that as well. Jeff wasn’t involved in appointing Gary O’Neil.”
Keen added that he could not speculate why Shi has actually been in China at this moment in time.
Jeff Shi absence will not go down well
For a while now, Shi and Fosun have been the target for criticism from a lot of Wolves fans.
And this information about his involvement, or lack thereof, in the managerial change at Molineux will do little change the perception of him and them.
It is not really a good look.
Keen suggests that it was perhaps a good thing that he was not there, given his relationship with Lopetegui had soured, which is understandable.
But this was a huge decision being taken by the football club.
It just seems very odd that the chairman was not present, and will only put more doubt in the minds of Wolves fans about the level of commitment to the club.