Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi has described the process of hiring Julen Lopetegui as ‘painful at times’, and put on record his thanks to Steve Davis.
Wanderers can finally now begin a new era, with Lopetegui officially starting work tomorrow.
The Spaniard was announced by the club last weekend as Bruno Lage’s successor.
Yesterday, he was at Compton Park getting familiar with his new surroundings. And last night he was at Molineux for the game against Arsenal, and unveiled to the crowd ahead of kick-off.
Unfortunately, his presence couldn’t quite inspire the players to a positive result, with the Gunners winning 2-0.
But fans are now very hopeful that Lopetegui can pull the team out of the current rut.
He has a lot of work to do. But with his pedigree and experience, there is every chance he can guide Wolves to safety.
Lopetegui’s arrival at Molineux has felt somewhat romantic, given the club’s interest six years ago and the fact he gave Ruben Neves his debut at FC Porto. But it has been far from straightforward.
And now Shi has spoken publicly about the challenges of naming him as Lage’s successor.
He said (Wolves official): “It has been a tricky period for the club, both on and off the pitch. Everyone has been aware of the process, and I am comfortable to admit that it has been a challenge to find the right head coach, particularly during the middle of the season.
“The process has been painful at times, there have been ups and downs, but eventually the final result is a very good one.
I’m very happy to finally welcome Julen to Wolves. I think it’s destiny. Football, as is life, is hard to predict, and even two weeks ago I was not sure that he would be here, but throughout this process, I have pushed a lot, so I’m very pleased that everything has come together.”
He goes on to say that Lopetegui has a strong personality and is a strong leader, which are two things desperately needed right now.
Shi also extended his thanks to Steve Davis for taking the team on an interim basis.
Despite some poor results recently, it has been clear that he has gotten a response from the players in terms of performance, compared to when Lage was sacked.
“From a pragmatical standpoint, you know it’s not your job for long-term, you know you may be criticised by the fans and you know it’s tough because the whole team is not in form, but he still decided to take the job,” Shi added.
“It’s taken courage for Steve to do this, and for this factor alone, he is to be praised. He is a true fan of the club, so maybe that gave him more motivation, but it also shows the unselfishness that he has to do everything possible to help the club.
“I would like to thank Steve, James and all the staff who have stepped up to support the first-team during the past six weeks.”
Jeff Shi has made mistakes at Wolves, but deserves some credit for Julen Lopetegui appointment
Shi is not such a popular figure with a lot of Wolves fans at the moment.
He has overseen some questionable decisions of late, and he does have to take a share of the blame for Wolves sitting rock bottom of the Premier League at the moment.
But he also should get some credit for this managerial appointment.
Clearly, it has not been straightforward at all.
But the door was never fully closed, and the lines of communication were kept open just in case.
That proved to be crucial, and Wolves were able to land their number one choice in the end.
Shi must now endeavour to back Lopetegui in whatever way he needs. This is a man with real pedigree, and it is paramount he is aided in his bid to steer Wolves to safety.