“I am the person who takes full responsibility and I will be accountable for my job and the future plan of Wolves,” said executive chairman Nathan Shi last month.
After the shock sacking of Rob Edwards last week, one which blindsided the manager and his staff along with many at Molineux, it is not just Shi who needs this change – which is a gamble – to work for Wolves.
Shi and owners Fosun led the change and after replacing Jeff Shi in December, he could find himself the focal point of supporters’ anger just like his predecessor.
If it fails, a fanbase who had started revolting over the past 18 months will look for full revolution against the owners.
Automatic promotion is the plan next season and Cesar Peixoto has to have Wolves in the title race in the Championship.
Even then, there is no harmony or patience with Fosun after what supporters see as a managed decline over the years of selling off the club’s best players and failing to replace them.
Wolves and the ownership deny that and they are expected to financially back Peixoto – just like they had planned to do with Edwards – to ensure they return to the Premier League at the first attempt.
The club wanted more experienced players, with knowledge of the English game, to help and also reflect the club and city better and Raul Jimenez’s return does just that.
So there is positivity, the mistakes of last summer’s window look to have been learned from.
But after Edwards’ dismissal – him and his staff finding out about a possible change on social media – and the unity presented, with words like “alignment” used over the past few months, the direction of Wolves remains hard to judge.
