Liam Keen has shared what he’s been hearing about Nathan Shi behind the scenes at Wolves.
Nathan Shi came aboard back in December, replacing Jeff Shi – no relation – and becoming the club’s interim executive chairman.
The pressure on Jeff Shi had simply become far too much, and a change was long overdue.
Nathan Shi is now tasked with navigating a tough period for Wolves, after a string of poor decisions left the club facing relegation to the Championship.
It’s on him to oversee a rebuild, and it will be crucial for him to build a relationship with the fans.
And it seems he’s made a good start on that, with journalist Liam Keen also sharing some encouraging information about the executive behind the scenes.
Nathan Shi impressing with people skills behind the scenes at Wolves
Keen said on the latest E&S podcast: “For me, one thing that will really be interesting, and it was sort of hidden towards the bottom of the announcement, was the launch of fan forums.
“I suppose they could never have done them with Jeff there. But the fact they’re doing it, even at a time when Wolves are probably going to get relegated, I think is really interesting timing.
“I think Nathan Shi will be involved, Matt Jackson will be involved, I suspect Rob Edwards will probably be involved to some degree.
“The overall thing I take away from it is that this communication can only be a good thing. But equally you have to get it right. It’s a massive, massive summer. You cannot make the same strategic mistakes, recruitment mistakes, and manage decline really, that we saw under Jeff Shi last summer.
“If they get it right, I think Nathan Shi is going to give himself a lot of good favour and trust with the Wolves fans. And actually, what I’m hearing from behind the scenes is quite a lot of fairly positive stuff about how he deals with people anyway.
“Whereas let’s be honest, Jeff was not exactly the easiest person in the world to deal with. Hopefully it’s a move in the right direction. But no one is going to care if you say the right things, if you go and make the wrong decisions.”
This follows Shi recently admitting (via Wolves official) that ‘open dialogue is essential and we look forward to speaking directly with supporters in person. If we are to move forward together, we must listen, explain our decisions clearly and ensure supporters feel part of the journey’.
From this, it’s clear that he is all about accountability and transparency.
Proof in the pudding but Nathan Shi has made positive start
Of course, fans ultimately want to see tangible success in the post-Jeff Shi era.
But it’s been a decent start for Nathan Shi since his arrival in December in terms of his engagement and trying to be accountable.
At the time of his exit, there were suggestions that Jeff Shi left senior people at Wolves helpless and frustrated with the way he operated, often bulldozing through decisions that people knew wouldn’t go down well.
Nathan Shi seems much more tactful, and willing to listen to those around him to deliver in the best interests of Wolves.
But obviously, as Keen suggests, the proof will be in the pudding, and it is such a huge summer for the club.
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