Communication 'welcomed' but no 'substitute' for results
- Published
"Why I'm speaking with the fans in person now," said the Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi, "is because it's the only channel we can be sincere – honest, face to face – to check, do you have any questions, do you want some answers, because I want the conversation to be based around facts first. Because now, too many different rumours, or fake news on media, I don't know how to correct them… Today, maybe it's a chance to say something more about the facts."
Football abhors a vacuum. Shi has rarely been interviewed by media sources outside the club in recent years, and as their standing in the Premier League has fallen so far, supporters have come to their own conclusions about Shi and the owners, Fosun. The first step to challenging what Shi sees as widespread misconceptions is to speak up.
But when the team is on two points just before Christmas, any fanbase would be a tough crowd. The protests at the Manchester United game were striking but hardly unforeseeable. The further Wolves have drifted on the field from their modern peak of 2019-20, the more disillusioned the fans have become. Any other set of supporters would surely have reacted in the same way.
Part of the disconnect is simply frames of reference. Shi says that the club is essentially in a better state than when Fosun took over in 2016. Before then, in his view, Wolves were not generally thought of as a Premier League club, but have spent most of the Fosun decade at that level and are well-equipped to get back if they fall. Perhaps owners and chairmen have to take a long-term and more holistic view like that.
But supporters feel the direction of travel. They felt it moving forwards from 2017-20 and they feel it moving backwards since, and neither trend seemed like the natural variation of lucky breaks. They bear the scars of previous slumps – many have seen their team suffer successive relegations more than once – and fear the worst.
Some of the points Shi and Jackson made can be judged against events over the coming months. Shi expressed confidence that the club will cope financially in the event of relegation and that there is no need for jobs to be at risk. Jackson said he is sure that Rob Edwards will still be around to lead the club in the Championship if he wishes. They assured that the Academy's Category One status and the promised support for Wolves Women should they earn promotion will remain.
And they expressed a willingness to repair relations with the supporters, which they believe, while strained, can be restored. Communication, speaking and listening, will help over time and is to be welcomed. But it can never be a substitute for results, which will always speak loudest.
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