FULL TRANSCRIPT: Jeff Shi and Matt Jackson’s interview on Wolves’ woeful season and protests

Here’s a full transcript for Jeff Shi and Matt Jackson’s interview on Wolves’ woeful season and protests from the fanbase.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi and new technical director Matt Jackson faced spoke as the club currently have 2 points from 15 games, leaving them bottom of the Premier League.

They tried to defend the situation they’re in, saying financially the club is healthy, “Even if we go down we’re fine, they insist relegation would not be a financial disaster and the club is prepared for both staying up and going down.

The current leadership team is said to be “the best in 10 years” with excellent chemistry, and that Rob Edwards is backed for “at least three years” regardless of division.

This season’s collapse is blamed on too many key players leaving at once, wrong “tempo” of squad rebuild, lack of margin for recruitment error when not a big-spending club.

Shi also admitted that no Premier League club is truly self-sustainable and Fosun still invest, but not at the levels of the first few years or of richer owners.

Fosun’s ambition hasn’t changed from 2016 – become an “established Premier League club long-term”, not top-6, but early success has raised expectations too high.

There was also a mention on the stadium, anger from fans, and repairing a relationship with fans, but once again, judging by the social media reaction, the interview was described as a “disaster”, with many supporters calling it tone-deaf, full of excuses, showed zero urgency, and confirmed fears that the owners have downgraded ambition and are relaxed about possible relegation to the second tier for the first time since the 2017/18 season.

https://t.co/5wagDPpB9I

— BBC Radio WM Sport (@sportbbcwm) December 11, 2025

Transcribed with the help of TurboScribe!

BBC Radio West Midlands’s Mike Taylor is joined by Wolves chairman Jeff Shi and Technical Director Matt Jackson.

Mike Taylor: What’s your current view of the current health of Wolverhampton Wanderers. We can see what we can see on the field and the league table. How do you as executive chairman see the health of the club? The club in the widest sense that everything that you’re responsible for Obviously the results are not what you want at the moment, but how is the club set up generally?

Jeff Shi: I think Yeah, if you look at my job for the club, I think first, I have to make sure financially it’s quite healthy. I think you know the examples like Sheffield Wednesday or other clubs. I feel it’s very important to make the club a sustainable financially, on this I feel we are quite good at the moment and even in case if we go down I think we are still okay, I think I will have no problem, so PSI is far away from us now. And I think we have possibility to make maybe two years profitable in a row so and the last year we will make a profit the next year possibly so That’s the first thing because that’s the the basis to support the development and the growth of the club for a long time, then for the people I think that’s another aspect. I have to look after I feel, yeah, it may look or sound strange, but I feel maybe it’s the best time in my 10 years and when we have galvanised a group people any people we feel we share the same view share the same principle and with high caliber and also the chemistry and communication is it’s very good at the moment and maybe the best I have seen in the last 10 years, so I hope and I wish and this team is this core team can can can grow together and We have still a long way to go. But I think for example in the next two years and I hope we can have a stable team then do something or achieve something as a team and in the future. So yeah for this I feel also very good and then back to the pitch, of course, maybe it’s the one of the worst moment and for the last 10 years and but still better than when we were in the Championship I couldn’t forget maybe the first year when I came here in 2016 and that season we didn’t have the quality of the players to compete even sometimes I shouldn’t to compete in it the Championship so at the moment yeah, we lost a lot of games in the Premier League, but I feel there’s still strong potential there Can we find that the best way to maximise the potential of the team then to do better and in near future in long-term future, so yeah, but compare with maybe the best moments for the club. Maybe it’s not the best but I feel yeah if you want me to give you a very objective or How the holistic of you about the club at the moment that’s the effect.

Mike Taylor: Yeah Matt from your remit and it’s just important to clarify. First of all, you’ll be appointed as technical director So are you a Successor as it were to Domenico Teti and to Matt Hobbs before him or is the role different or what?

Matt Jackson: Essentially that that is Absolutely the case Before this point. I’ve been overseeing the processes of recruitment with the recruitment team and the Academy and the women’s and girls programme. They obviously have all fed into me and we’ve worked very closely with all of those people you’ve mentioned previously and had great relationships with all those people you’ve mentioned previously But I’ve now been asked to oversee the entire program worked very closely with Robin his coaching staff obviously closely with Jeff and the rest of the senior leadership team to really drive the club forward for the long term and we absolutely recognise the short-term pain that our supporters are going through now and and the tough time we’re having on the pitch, but we also have to have a long-term view that Jeff just outlined.

Mike Taylor: So within that those areas and The playing squad and everything else you’ve just outlined if I say what is the health of the club at the moment and again it’s hard to escape the you know where you are in the league table and what the consequences of that are in terms of dropping to the Championship. Do you see the conditions for things to get better in that area?

Matt Jackson: Yeah, absolutely we’re very aware of and forensically aware of the financial state of the football club as it is at the moment, as I say along with those other senior leaders We have a responsibility for short and long-term planning certainly the ownership give us that direction as well. So we have our expectations We have ambitions. Of course, we want to make the team as good as possible. Will we ever planning to be bottom of the Premier League? Of course not, absolutely never within our remit and we hate it. But we have to do something about it. We can’t wail and wring our hands, we have to be positive move forwards the best way we can we think we’ve appointed a management team that can really help us with that. The players are certainly receptive to doing their part and I know there may be mixed views as to some of the performances but remember that we see every single minute of that development that they’re going through and we see their commitment on a daily basis around the place and we see also the efforts that our staff put in and people that will never ever be have an awareness to our supporters, but to us they’re absolutely so important with the daily fabric the daily life both at Molineux and at Compton.

Mike Taylor: The core team you just mentioned there Jeff that you’re now very happy with the central people And the best you’ve had in 10 years is that since the installation of Rob Edwards, so Rob Edwards is part of that core team that you’re very happy with you’re referring to?

Jeff Shi: Yeah, I think it’s not only I’m happy with this. I think every team member they are happy with each other I think it’s more about a team. It’s not only by myself and I feel yeah, I think the feeling is like it is like after 10 years and like a group people we knew each other and but we chose to go different ways and came back again and have a Reunion and then we felt everyone has grown up a lot, but it’s good timing to do something together and for the next maybe three or five years and I think this kind of feeling can only happen maybe every decade in it because you needed to go out to do something by your own then to learn something from elsewhere, but only when a time you’re right then they can come back together to do something. That’s a feeling like we are feeling now in the training ground and yeah, if the timing are not right, maybe it will never happen. So, for example, if Rob didn’t want to come then maybe it will never happen if we really didn’t want to come maybe it wouldn’t have happened, so we cherished this moment and I felt that’s also why I thought it’s the kind of beginning of a new cycle and because it’s a very interesting team and with very strong chemistry and also mutual principle about what we should do and also strong ability to deliver things. So you can’t say oh Individually who is the best or who is not the best? I think it’s hard to to judge because I think better for a team. I feel there is strong core sense and a core mutual feeling about that. That’s what I feel from the team.

Mike Taylor: I understand that you can say taking as a reference point the day that you came in and Fosun took over you are in a healthier position now, then you were then at that point in the Championship That’s going to be quite a jarring message to some of our listeners who judge the health of the club on where you are In the Premier League, so do you see their perspective because I mean you don’t need me to tell you they’re pretty unhappy.

Jeff Shi: Yeah, I have the empathy and about some of the fans I felt it’s very natural feeling. I prefer on the fence because maybe five years ago we used to be at some height maybe to reach semi-final FA Cup or quarterfinal in Europe. I think when you have reached that height people or fans don’t want to let it go I felt for myself and when your life or for for everyone’s life when you reach a height and when you lose something like that it’s a tough blow to you and and I for that I totally have to empathy for this even myself. I’m not happy. Of course everyone wants to to stay high to go high then to try to do something amazing and but my, another brain is about how we run the club, you know, so I it’s not only because I’m not only a fan. I’m also the CEO the chairman in the club. So I have to think about what’s the how to judge the last decade and with a more factual way and also how to think about the next 10 years and how to push forward the club to run and…

Mike Taylor: So your 10-year horizon?

Jeff Shi: Yeah, I think I always thought about 10 years and even in 2016 and If you check my interview, I always said it’s a long game. It’s a long game because why because the affordable a Lot of things can’t be achieved in a short time and also in a short time something may be unlucky or something you can’t control could happen. So it’s very hard to control everything in a short time and unless you have very strong spending power to do something but we don’t have that now So but if you extend the game to a long game Then you have more control that you have more plan for that then you have the patience and something to do that. So at the moment I get back to the question, failed, the same as some fans felt and it’s kind of like drop for a cliff then you felt why we couldn’t go back again. Yeah, so but in the meantime, I feel I’m quite content about the last 10 years I feel we have achieved something together and it’s no doubt from every aspect the club has grown up a lot and it compares 10 years ago and for everything I can say that then, but for the next 10 years it’s the question and or the next one year two years three years and what we should do and to move the club forward again and, or at least to one day where I leave the club I can say I could leave a very strong 10 years 20 years and to the fans and in history and this one of the strongest moments or years for the fans, so that’s what I’m thinking about now.

Mike Taylor: Can we talk about what are the effects of and I say potential relegation because there are a lot of games to go on I know you’ve pointed that out recently everybody wants you to start winning games But I imagine that you in all aspects of the club and this would be absolutely as true for you matters It is for Jeff have to be prepared for the consequences of relegation. So within your area, what are the direct consequences of? Relegation you’ll lose a lot of the squad, won’t you?

Matt Jackson: Yeah, I mean we because of the relatively healthy position that Jeff has reflected on we have good choices to make around squad management. But of course, we have to look at all scenarios would be stupid not to it would be irresponsible not to and we’re definitely not that within the football club So scenario planning is definitely there. We have a relatively new management team in so they’re really getting to know the players at a great depth because they can shape their squad their futures from from the thoughts there. It’s important that the players take their opportunities now to impress as well. But yeah, absolutely. We’re planning scenarios of relegation of staying up of of pushing on and being successful in the Premier League we want to be in the Premier League at the first available opportunity we’re really hoping that it will be next summer If it’s not we have to be realistic that our next opportunity is the summer after that but we come back at that point stronger with a better base as Jeff’s already indicated and we build from that.

Mike Taylor: In this January Is there a situation where you and Rob and Jeff will look at the Premier League and say effectively this is done Let’s start that rebuild now rather than waiting to the end of the season.

Matt Jackson: We never give up on Premier League survival until mathematically, we can’t be in the Premier League. Absolutely not. But we have really responsible conversations and we have those Pretty much from the start of Rob coming in because let’s face it, he’s been pretty brave to come join us in these circumstances and it would have been stupid to lie to him and have him walk into the building into a situation where suddenly. We change the parameters as soon as he’s in the place. Absolutely not the case. So he’s coming bravely, being backed to the core bias because we think he can be brilliant for us really long term It’s going to be sustainable growth from us and he’ll be a huge part of those plans along with his staff but also long as I say with the other support staff recruitment’s gonna be a massive part of this going forward the Academy have to step up and have that productivity going forwards as well. It’s a real opportunity for growth at the football club.

Mike Taylor: Is relegation financially disastrous for a club like Wolves?

Jeff Shi: Yeah that’s something I want to say it’s just I feel Relocation stay up is a kind of technical word, you know Just I feel get people try to emphasise its importance or not Of course, it’s important and because it will incur different revenue or for one year, but in the meantime, I want to say inside the club. I feel it’s not as serious as some views from outside or which league will play in the next season will be such a very like a very weighty things for us. No, not really like this. I think it first from the players or the coach. I think they focus more on the next game. So for example on Saturday we play against Arsenal so how we prepare their game and because only when we prepare very well for the next game then we can we can step forward to think about the next maybe one or two weeks then one or two months or one or two years. So I feel that’s the the focus of the team at the moment then for the club, but when we talk about the long-term future financially, we are okay for both, for mboth I feel actually for every year we prepare both. So for example if we go down what will happen if we stay up what happened whatever so Yeah, we if we go down we don’t want to Have a very hard landing, you know, it’s just like okay sometimes you can’t handle that you then you financially will be

Mike Taylor: That’s what I’m worried Jeff if I may because they look at all the clubs who have gone through what you might be about to go through and it does have a big difference on them so when Wolves fans look at their club and say is this going to happen to us? Then it’s financially very difficult that people lose their jobs within the club Are you saying that’s not how wolves are they will be different to that?

Jeff Shi: Yeah, that’s the beauty of the long game planning So why I emphasise on long game planning is of course at the beginning maybe it’s a don’t sound very sexy, but it’s the truth. We, since the day when in 2016, we have been doing this for 10 years. So we are quite cautious. We are conservative to be fair then for financials So we don’t gamble, we never gambled. So that’s the reason And also we know our limitation as a club, okay, we are big club maybe in this area but to compare with the top six or top eight it’s tough and also compare with the owners who can spend our money. So we have to prepare very carefully about what to do and in the future, but when you have the good planning, you don’t need to worry about the results on the pitch too much and we always can handle that and so for this I can say to the fans and no worry about this and, so the club is still there so

Mike Taylor: And for people who work for the club because you have lots of people who work for the club who we don’t see we See the players and we see the coaches, but you have lots of other people who work for wolves. So they shouldn’t worry either Yeah, I don’t know what happened before because I came in 2016.

Jeff Shi: We don’t have any need to lose our staff, I don’t see why, it’s just because financially, we’re okay. And oh we have a clear financial forecast for the next three years and we never count losing stuff is a kind of factor impacting the modelling so I just don’t get why people start to worry about this and I don’t get that to be fair. I understand maybe from some historic resource and maybe something happened before you was all in some other clubs. But of course, I don’t think any link between the two things.

Mike Taylor: If supposing you’re relegation and I don’t wish to talk negatively but I can see the league table the same as all our listeners can of course if that happens, yeah, so what will be the pressure are you going to have the financial where with all in the transfer market to be able to do something about it in the Championship or are you managing within your resources? Do you plan for that?

Matt Jackson: Yes, it’s very much planned for obviously We have payments that come to us when we go down as Jeff just mentioned. We have that financial planning we have assets amongst the playing staff that can create funds for us and we can reinvest and we have young players coming through and we have developing players and we have players that are out on loan that are also developing at the moment. So we have a core of staff available to us to build a team and build a team that we expect to be really competitive, whatever division we’re playing in again, that’s the responsible action. That’s succession planning. That’s how the best clubs evolve, that’s how the best clubs grow and we have to be a part of that our strategies are in place to do that how the recruitment processes work towards that The coaches at all levels are trying to improve players and have players ready for playing at the required level for first-team play or to realise the financial return from selling those assets, which is very much a part of the game as well.

Mike Taylor: You mentioned the Academy a couple of times and its importance in the future, especially if you’re not in the Premier League You’ve recently promoted John Hunter Barrett. Will the Academy remain as category one? Is that something we can look to carry on in the future? And what does that mean? Towards when you’re talking about feeding the club’s ambitions in future, you’ll bring more players through?

Matt Jackson: Yeah, I mean, it’s a 12-part documentary on its own running an Academy and the nuances of it but basically by being cat one, it means that we can Compete with the best of clubs. It means we can recruit nationally from the age of 14, which is vital for us because our local area is really tough from a recruitment perspective. So it’s difficult to bring players through there’s huge challenges in the system for retaining our players, for example, we lost four to big clubs this summer and we can’t do anything about it. That’s tough on productivity it creates revenue, but it but it’s not good because you’re losing your best players to those. But it’s a good sign because it shows that players of quality that are coveted by the other clubs are being produced. It’s a vital lifeline for the football club. It has to be sustainable growth And John now he’s tasked with that We delighted he’s been at the football club for an awful long time knows the culture of that Academy inside out, but we now have the commitment From the ownership that we go forward as a category one into the next audit round which will happen sometime next year that gives us another three years cycle as a category one Academy and we move forward from there.

Mike Taylor: Okay, that’s encouraging for the Academy I think at this point probably worth mentioning wolves women as well because there’s a lot of fuss last summer about the wolves women and what would have happened had they been promoted and I imagine that if again if the club is relegated people will say that will put the whole club in a different more difficult position Where the wolves women fit in so if they are promoted Will you be able to follow through with what you were saying last summer and back them? To go forward from there?

Matt Jackson: Yeah, well our letter of intent went in very recently to say that we would back that promotion bid Jeff and I were both at the women’s Christmas meal last night. We weren’t quite included in Secret Santa yet We hopefully that will be next year, but we were both there supporting that their development has been outstanding I think there’s a proper joined-up support for them now and we look forward to to really boosting their promotion bid in the new year hoping that they’ll become a full-time model next year and their progress will match other areas of the football club as well.

Mike Taylor: Okay, can you put your finger on why this season on the field has been so poor because with all the parameters and wherever you were expecting to be in senior players left the club I know you were prepared for that. Everybody expected couldn’t you in a new insulator and so on to go but there’s no way you set up the squad this season to have two points in 15 games, correct. So why has it failed?

Matt Jackson: Collectively, we haven’t been good enough. I mean there is no that’s the stark reality We haven’t returned better a point all than we have our performances at times have been better than that But the table doesn’t lie football gives you a great opportunity week after week to prove how good you are at the moment we haven’t been very good. We need to be a lot better as you say we replaced players with other players We lost a lot of experience from the Premier League learning in the Premier League is is the harshest of realities for many players And it’s been tough. It’s been tough for the coaching team who unfortunately we’ve had to change. It’s been tough for individual players as well coming together collectively as a team is really difficult and you know confidence obviously is affected by results and that’s been tough going.

Mike Taylor: Was the recruitment wrong in the summer?

Matt Jackson: I think that the The players were brought in were brought in for the right reasons there was really clear thinking behind each one that’s come in but when you have a return of two points at this stage, of course You you have to say it’s wrong because whatever starting 11 we’ve put out has not been has not been good enough for the Premier League to be competitive, but we have a great belief in those players developing their ability and will To improve has been excellent Rob certainly has indicated that but the group that he has to work with has been great But of course you want immediate returns Jeff alluded to a little bit earlier on for the way that we can go Into the market for our players. It’s tough that we don’t have endless resources to go so we are trying to find players in markets where other people aren’t necessarily looking we have the world to choose from but doesn’t necessarily mean that the world wants to come and play for Wolverhampton Wanderers at any given time.\

Mike Taylor: So Jeff is on top of this. What’s your view of what happened with recruitment in the summer? And what are the lessons you would draw from that?

Jeff Shi: Yeah, I think yeah in the 20 clubs, I think they are always maybe I don’t know eight to ten clubs like us, you know, so maybe without big spending power and maybe size quite smaller and then the big clubs then three will go down. Maybe three will be up a bit. I think in general eight club ish, but for these eight clubs, I feel the space to tolerate mistakes is quite small. So when you can spend more spend a lot and the space is bigger for that you can make mistakes to sign a wrong player, no worry, you can spend the money again in January to sign another player to take his place. So, but for us for this group of clubs and the space quite small, so you have to manage it very carefully and don’t make too much mistakes in the same time or you don’t make too big a mistakes in one moment and then we have been in a Premier League, so we have been managing this kind of space, but why in the last seven years and it’s looks okay. And why this year we were in a low moment, it’s I think maybe because the tempo this year. I felt I’m not the expert for football, but Matt is but I feel maybe we saw too many players in when we know and also, so you can see the score to maybe compare with the last season We changed it maybe 50% or 40% of the key place. Not only for Nelson, Rayan or Cunha, I think some players came back from long whatever. So it’s like a task to rebuild a team. But the primary is very tough, you know so you if you can’t control the tempo very well, and you need a longer time to rebuild the team then the games will punish you but I think in the last seven years yeah, we also made some small mistake here and there but eventually the general tempo is okay or at least and The competition is not so tough and then we can still have the space to breathe and to change it to take to optimise to improve so well, okay and but this is I feel the external environment competition and this specific season how we compete or then linked with how we maybe mismanage a little bit about the tempo of the building of the team I feel all the reasons together, it’s the reason for us to be at the moment at the moment now here.

Mike Taylor: Is the self-sustainable model viable for a Premier League club I say that because people bring this radio station and say say look in the first few years that folks were in charge we spent money we bought in all these players and we got to seventh and we finish 7th twice and we win the Europa League and since it’s been self-sustaining. We’ve slid down the Premier League a little bit more every season and now we’re where we are. So the conclusion they draw is that this is not viable.

Jeff Shi: Yeah, I think Wolves has never been truly self-sustainable. I think every club in the Premier League they need investment from the owners to help them to compete at least in the Premier League also in the Championship. I feel the 44 clubs and I think no one can say they can be totally relying on their own strengths to be financially self-sustainable. It’s impossible in my view

Mike Taylor: But you are doing it.

Jeff Shi: No, I when we haven’t never been doing this and maybe it’s a kind of misconception from defence and yeah, but I feel The cycle is like this at the beginning for every new owner not only for Wolves and for every new owner. They will be very ambitious. They want to invest And they have to they have to spend the money to promote the team right to and to show They can compete in a league then after three or four years and they think okay I need some financial safety and because if to be fair to the owner you can’t Let the owner to spend money continuous for every year then then they will feel at the moment. They want to control the pocket a little bit. I think it’s so fair to the owners. But it doesn’t mean they they are not spending, they are still spending money, but maybe not big enough compare with other new owners or other wealthy owners in the meantime in the same league. So people will feel maybe to compete in the Premier League in the last five or six years is tougher than the first two years and yes, I think in the first two or three years we spend more than now and but it’s also normal for every new team like a Sunderland this season, Leeds, Burnley they spend a lot.

Mike Taylor: So was there a moment of realisation then from Fosun because I was there in that press conference in 2016 okay, and Fosun and you were there and the talk was pretty big and you know we’re gonna be coming and the impression that was left and it was certainly left with the supporters, was that this Fosun is an enormous company. It’s got huge resources we’re going to throw everything at walls and we’re gonna be really successful and for a while. That’s the trajectory you were on, so have fans picked up Fosun wrongly or has Fosun had a moment of realisation along the way that says we cannot keep supporting this to the tune of the amount that we were putting in. It’s got to more or less stand self-sustaining because the impression from outside is the Fosun changed their minds at some point and that’s where you’ve gone down. Is that not the case? Do people have it wrong?

Jeff Shi: Yeah, I feel, yeah to be fair I think for Fosun for the owners I think the Wolves is part of the assets in the world. So I don’t feel yeah, I think they don’t have a just a very strong way to say I have to do something for was or whatever. I think you can be more objective to think Fosun is a kind of owner very calm very reasonable, logical, but not like a very so much passion about the club or ever to the summit, I feel if you think of that away how we run the club or how we push go forward is more from the team here, you know, I think sometimes fans like to link what we want to do with the owner very much, but I actually it’s more about us, we run the club every day we see what was what’s happening and what we can do and if something wrong we try to correct that. So I feel if you want one sentence for example to say the ambition for the team is we want to be an established Premier League club and for a long long time. So since the beginning I remember in the press conference I did then I said the first thing is to promote the team back to the family and we did it that and I think it’s always the key focus then stay there and try to build a team. For example one day maybe the owner will leave or I will leave whatever but eventually in the last decade or two decades, we will see. Okay, we are a Premier League club and but it doesn’t mean you have to be in the family for every year but at least long enough for people to feel that, because before 2016, Wolves has never been recognised a Premier League club at all in the world and even in the UK. So if we can make people feel we are strong club competing in the Premier League, I think it’s a very great success and all the consequence now why people feel oh, it’s a low moment and we feel unhappy, it’s because the expectation is high enough because we have shown to the world we could be a long-term Premier League club then people feel down about this.

Mike Taylor: But I think the impression was there Jeff that from the first few years the impression was there that Fosun are driving Wolves towards the top and now poepl don’t feel it. When people call us and they say why do Fosun want Wolves? What do they what do they want? What is their vision for this thing? And has he changed?

Jeff Shi: No, I have answered the question I said before 2016 no expression for wolves like they’re high, right? So because why people feel like this now I think maybe because early success in 2019/20 or whatever, but internally, I never felt the owner or myself or the team We really like some people said maybe we really want to compete with Man City or whatever and well sometimes we mention about it’s not really about the club because we know the club has a ceiling, you know

Mike Taylor: Where do you think?

Jeff Shi: So for example the corporate and what we can do because the cover has a ceiling for the fan base for the growth for the whatever, but the corporate is they have unlimited the growth space so it’s different but I feel sometimes because like now we are in BBC WM and we are talking up with the fans from West Midlands, whatever so so so. But sometimes I’m maybe mixed the message sometimes I talk with the fans in China’s my talk, talk with the fans maybe for the corporate or whatever so I think sometimes I say something but actually in my feeling is for the corporate we have a bigger space to grow. But for the club there is always a seat is sitting there and we have to be honest about that then I don’t think we have changed it, but it may be from the quotes from the media and may people feel that maybe it’s my fault maybe, but I feel now I want to clarify and in the last 10 years, it’s always like that.

Mike Taylor: Well, thank you because again my impression is that people have thought that you were heading in one direction and that’s where they thought Fosun work and that maybe is why people ask us they say do Fosun care? Have they lost interest? Does, I know the chairman comes over from Fosun? But he was here not very long ago at a recent game, but people say Fosun don’t care about us. But you’re telling us they do.

Jeff Shi: Everyone from the ownership of a group and everyone in the club they care a lot.

Mike Taylor: I know you do on the ground because you’re here. But the impression that’s there rightly or wrongly and this is the time to set it straight, they say that backing the owners Fosun, Wolves are such a small part of Fosun. They’re not they’ve lost interest in.

Jeff Shi: I can tell why they care first the owner himself watched every game I have told the fans all about stories every game even at 3am in China you know then so that’s the fact why he he cares then when I went back to Fosun in some helicopter in Shanghai all the people that they know who I am, then they told Jeff how I was or whatever and all the staff there, they even they work in different industries. They know Wolves a lot. And so of course they care and also not only Fosun I can tell you and because we have been independent for a long time in the UK and we are we are one of the top clubs and recognised by Chinese fans, for example, then they know us, they know where to do something great in the UK and even Chinese football, the players, the industry, the people there they’re talking with me, Oh Jeff, I want to learn from you or whatever?

Mike Taylor: So will that sustain if you don’t in the Premier League?

Jeff Shi: The same because They know in the champion, you know primary can still a very high level. So I feel I Feel it’s already 10 years and I feel like from China, from Fosun and from even from the world to be fair, people care and people care about that. So don’t need to worry about that and I think at least we have enough people caring about no matter they are happy or not It’s better than no people care about us, right? So I think that’s the difference between now and 10 years ago.

Mike Taylor: And you see that on the ground so you obviously you’re in in the training ground every day basically Matt. So you’re so I know you are there a lot Jeff as well. But you’re there dealing with these people on the ground because well, and I appreciate what Jeff and folks are looking to the very long term But you’re also dealing with this week this game and that’s where that’s where fans are happy if the team wins at the weekend and unhappy if he doesn’t you’re dealing with that.

Matt Jackson: Absolutely. We are here and we understand why they protest about that when when it’s all about the results for us, results are so so important because it defines the football club, of course, but we have to have this sustainable growth and we have to have longevity for the football club as a longer-term plan But would we give everything to win on Saturday? Of course, we would absolutely that’s a priority But we have representatives from hosting in at the club all of the time I know and live that interest that they have every single day Compton and certainly Molineux as well because we have that drive to be better we have numerous meetings social events that they come to and engage with because they really are engaged with the football club and they genuinely do care. We know that. We’ve had representatives of the club go over to China into the offices this season already just to have that link to strengthen that link. So it’s important that continues but the support part I’ve never doubted.

Mike Taylor: Because it strikes me that in your position or you know equivalent of and the people who’ve done it before you, you’re trying to in a way sort of the gearbox between the long-term view that Jeff is taking and folks in the taking over years and years and you’ve got a deal with the manager who’s there and sometimes the manager or the head coach is replaced and that’s a short-term thing. You know the start of the season Vitor Pereira was there and was for sure the man that you wanted there for the long term. So is it difficult to transfer to translate the long-term vision into what this means, this week, this month, this transfer window, this manager.

Matt Jackson: Yeah, it’s tough because my appointment has come off the back of it being tough for somebody else to do so it is difficult and we’re able to challenge through Jeff the ownership for what we need and what we think we need to go forwards with a football club.

Mike Taylor: That’s a two-way conversation?

Matt Jackson: Absolutely is a two-way conversation and Jeff and I have had many a tear up over various issues as he has done with other members of staff because we are allowed to challenge and it’s an important part of the culture that we have that ability to challenge to get answers that we need, but the good thing is and this is so important in a football club, we get an answer pretty much straight away, Jeff present there every single day. We walk into his office, we might not agree But we get a yes or a no and we move on and we develop. And lots of clubs don’t have that luxury at all. But we also then because of the support that we get we know exactly what our path is and lots of clubs don’t have that luxury either. We are indebted in that regard to we don’t always love the situation, but we have clarity.

Mike Taylor: I understood Rob Edwards is the man now charged with trying to sort this season out on the pitch. I’m going to assume but challenge this by all means that you and I think fans assume that one of the reasons you’ve appointed him is because in the event of being relegated, he’s a good man and proven to bring a team back from the Championship. Is he definitely going to get there?

Matt Jackson: Well, I can answer from the football side, I sort of do

Mike Taylor: If you’ve lost the four games, I’m not suggesting that that’s all down to Rob. He’s only just walked on the course. And everybody wants him to do well the fans want him to do well and we know he’s got a personal connection. But if you’re on single figures points in April, that’s a problem. So when we’re talking about Rob being a good man to sort things out for the long run, but Vitor Pereira wasn’t. Gary O’Neill was. So of course why is this different.

Matt Jackson: And actually that is most football coaches in history, isn’t it? Well, they lose their jobs at all different clubs and different clubs have their different problems all of the time, so in terms of I’ll answer in different stages. Of course, we consider Rob as the right man for a potential promotion charge from the Championship. It would have again been irresponsible not to it was proving that with Middlesbrough. He’s obviously got Luton up. He’s understood the transition of a club going down in challenging circumstances because we’re very aware of what’s happened to Luton since their relegation and and he’s learned from that and has expressed Those learnings to us as well. So yes, first and foremost really important from that perspective. We haven’t won a game since he’s come in but we have been different definitely different around all aspects of the team, the way that they’ve been set up, the attention to detail the intensity with which they’re training and that’s in time. We have absolute confidence that will translate into results. But the base level of what he’s putting together as a foundation is better for the players to develop from going forwards, regardless of what division we’re in and that has been a huge part of it for us. And the only reason I couldn’t see him being in charge of us is that he’s come to us at some point this season said you know what? I have no appetite for this anymore. And that is not the man that I am seeing I cannot imagine that that is going to be the case at all having come to us walk towards the fire taking the job brought his staffing, come home in his words and he’s rising to the challenge.

Mike Taylor: These are the personal qualities in Rob because I know you’ve liked Rob since you first came in he was there in the coaching capacity then so these are the personal qualities you want.

Jeff Shi: Yes, if you want me really to give you a very concrete answer, I can say at least three years at least I think I hope so. I hope so for no one can guarantee 100% but I can say 95% at least three years, so it’s a long-term project with Rob and also it’s not really about results, you know, it’s also about how we worked together and I sometimes some fans may not understand and it’s also important to get happiness and chemistry from daily work, you know, so I think that’s important.

Mike Taylor: I do hear that. But you will understand that for fans if their team wins on Saturday. They’re happy on Monday and if it loses on Saturday, they’re not happy. You see the difference, don’t you?

Jeff Shi: Whether they are happy rely on a lot about the results, right? So but from the staff from us from coach for us and also partly rely on it, but also partly rely on how we work together because it’s a journey together, it’s a destiny for maybe the group of people we can find a way find the timing to come to the same club to work together and in some degree, I think it’s even more important than the results. So because for example for some years Maybe we did really well on the pitch. But I didn’t feel very happy and because I think sometimes how we work every day when we get into the building in the morning then how we talk to each other how we find the solutions to solve the problem and it can we can we smile at each other and even when we lose for example, can we find a way to come back again, all this process and the daily work is a part of our life you know, so if your life only relies on the final results and I think it’s not right and I think people maybe for us I don’t understand that and but for insight and we feel after Rob comes I said we feel this kind of energy flowing through the whole team

Mike Taylor: So he will make the conditions better for things in the long run.

Jeff Shi: Yeah so you asked me about how long I said at least three years and you might be but you asked me how why, I tell you and it’s because we cherished the moments and the journey together ahead and we can work together and also maybe one day after he leaves maybe it will never happen again. So because you need the right people.

Mike Taylor: The day he was appointed and I read you saying about this is a reset moment for the club and that everything is now going to be lined up in effectively in service of the first team and that Rob’s the right man for that, so these are the these are the things you were referring to that Rob has brings the right qualities for the to make that happen.

Jeff Shi: Yeah, of course, I think he is one of the very important elements into that and a key member of the team and a key leader of the team. So yeah, so without him maybe it’s not so perfect to organise the whole team.

Mike Taylor: Tell me about the state of Molineux because at one point you were going to rebuild it, and then you were going to do other things with it and again fans say the stadium is not looked after well. They say it’s getting tatty. It’s not painted. These are the complaints people make to us and that is offered as a reason as evidence for the fact that the owners do not care sufficiently. So if you want to address how you see it because that’s how they see.

Jeff Shi: Yeah, I feel first we have a Project ongoing now for Steve Bull Stand and we are talking with a partner now, you know, I’m waiting for the offer from them maybe in December we will have a solid offer in our hands. It’s about to rebuild a part of Steve Bull stand and meant to have more venues for hospitality or events and to make it a more modern stand and I think people all agree Steve Bull stand is to stand and maybe needing more work now. So that’s happening now, so I feel I don’t have a timeline, but I feel at the stage I’m waiting for the offer, you know short term to know what we can do. And so that’s the first thing I want to say. Then for the stadium I feel we need some support from the council too because I feel for any new stadium or new stands we needed to fulfil a different purpose not only for match days because there are only 25 match days in a year. It’s not enough to verify the financial robustness and to support a new standard construction whatever so normally you have a venue for the game or for concerts or for events or whatever I think it’s not only for football fans. It should be for the whole city.

Mike Taylor: So from the council you want permission or investment?

Jeff Shi: I wanted more support. I haven’t seen that yet at the moment So I want more support from the council to have a kind of understanding about the whole plan for that area because the stadium is at the core of the city, right? So I think, so we can do a lot, so we can do football matches. We can do concerts We can do events we can do theme parks so we can do even for nightlifes or whatever. So if we have a holistic plan for that area, I’m very happy to to work with different parties to think about this. So for the Steve Bull Stand by ourselves, only by ourselves, so we are trying to make something happen there. But if you want a more perfect plan for the whole modern year I feel the next step is we should have different parties who work with us and especially the council should be the core leader and And then try to lead us to something for few different purposes and we are not the party to do something only by ourselves then to give other parties the benefit for free, right? So I saw we need all the party talk together. So far we haven’t seen that, but for Steve Bull Stand we by ourselves. We are working on the project already.

Mike Taylor: Yeah I want to sort of round off by talking about how you both see repairing the relationship with the supporters because and it’s not only about Monday night. It was most clearly demonstrated on Monday night, but you know this it’s not a new feeling So from your side of things Matt, what are the other than winning a game which everybody wants to do? What are the practical things that can be done to start repairing that relationship?

Matt Jackson: Honesty and integrity is the starting point. They have to believe the message that we’re giving if we can’t get that message across it’s on us. I understand my responsibilities on the football side of this. I understand my responsibilities to try and shape everybody’s efforts in the football club. Both at Molineux and at Compton and in the foundation and all the associated parties with us to be really credible for our supporters. The ambition should never be in question. Our love for the club should never be in question ever be in question. Our desire to make the club better on a daily basis should never ever be in question. And if it is it’s a problem we have to be better about…

Mike Taylor: Do you understand what it is? Because it is you saw it on Monday it is that is in question.

Matt Jackson: Yes, I absolutely Get that and I would hope that hearing Jeff’s voice on questions that you’ve had the liberty to ask today help a little bit I think we can have conversations with fans I got approached by a fan who was undercover outside Villa Park just after my appointment and he was great Frank conversation exactly how it should be come and talk to us express those express those views have robust conversations holds us to account no problem with that whatsoever, but my whole life in football has been that. So I’m not shying away from a challenge, absolutely fine. Protest, we understand we absolutely get it try at the same time to give you best efforts in supporting the team and giving that energy to the team, I would love that to be the case, but we will listen we will learn and we will try and be better.

Mike Taylor: Okay you’ve been talking to fan groups, haven’t you?

Jeff Shi: Yeah, I’m actually I’m constantly talking with the fans even now before I came in I met a fan in the garage, you know, I feel of course the relationship between fans and us is not as good as we had in 2017 2018, of course and but I think it’s also not as that bad, you know, just I feel because I feel every time I talk with a pair of defence in person, I’ve felt a very good feeling from them.

Mike Taylor: I’ve had spoken to fans on this radio station. They say look at Sheffield Wednesday. That’s us. That’s where we go.

Jeff Shi: No no no, it’s impossible, I think sometimes..

Mike Taylor: I’m raising it because that’s what some people have said to us

Jeff Shi: I think perception is derived from the social media or some kind of, maybe it’s not the right word or some kind of imagination, you know, so I feel Why every time I spoke with the fans, they’re okay that they’re happy not that they’re not happy, but they are honest. They are sincere. But why on social media you fail to that maybe some protests or whatever, but I feel sometimes yeah, maybe we can find a way, why I’m speaking with the fans in person now because I feel it’s the only channel we can be sincere and honest, face to face to check, do you have any question? Do you want some answers? Because I want to the conversation to be based on facts for first because now too many different rumours or fake news on media and I don’t know how to correct them because if you don’t have the right source to to credit them today maybe it’s a chance and then to say something more about the facts but yeah, but back to the topic we are talking with the fans very often now and in life or in work and in my view I feel of course, the relationship can be improved and for sure and parted by the results or partly by our efforts and but the key is to be on the same page for the facts and so we want to tell the fans that the truth what’s happening in the club and what’s wrong? What? What’s right about what you have heard and I don’t think they have never met me in person, right? So I feel sometimes I feel myself Is a kind of persona imagined on social media then they are they are thinking about the Jeff maybe imagined in some way, you know, it’s not truly myself.

Mike Taylor: On Monday night the message was very direct and some of it was personal Jeff, it was Fosun out, Shi out, you saw that and heard it. We all did, but neither of those things are going to happen. You’re telling me you’re here for the long game and Fosun remain here for the long game after nine years.

Jeff Shi: Yeah, I think personally I have to act empathy. I feel the frustration from the fence of course, I hope they can be more happy and I hope the People in Wolverhampton they can be more happy and and we have them that’s in the past, right? But in the meantime, I have my own way to run the club and they try to push the crowd to to grow So I feel I have to keep myself calm then think about what to do for the future so That’s two sides. You know, it’s just my job is to try to balance both.

Mike Taylor: What I mean just The team is right now the team the core team you refer to this is it then if this is a central message is that you want to put out from this is that you feel you have the right team now to repair the doubt we know the damage that people can never see on the field.

Matt Jackson: Yeah The other point I’d make in relation to the points that Jeff just might than the question you ask Our fans are allowed to express their views on Jeff directly to Jeff because he doesn’t duck away from that challenge in the stadium I would know who’s expletives are getting directed at the directors box going directly to him because he’s there and present and you make the comparison with Sheffield Wednesday that definitely isn’t the case there. So we learn because we see it there and then we’re not hiding from it. It’s tough. We hate it. We understand the responsibility, but we’re not hiding from it and the right to demonstrate is right there to the people that are making the decisions on the football club and that that is decisive. There’s no running away here. There’s no cowering away. There’s no not turning up. It’s there in the forefront and we want to do something about it and we want to do it quickly. But we can’t do it overnight. We have to be responsible and that’s the planning that we think we were putting in place going forwards from here. Only time will tell if it’s going to be successful. But we have the buy in of some really really good people and our effort will never ever ever be diminished.

Jeff Shi: Yeah, but ultimately we want to cover to do well, right? So I think that the right way to say that is just try to find a good way to make the club going for, not only for me, for the owner, for myself, for the players and for the coach forever and so we are talking with the fans also try to find a constructive way and how we can make a good environment. Not necessarily always positive, but sometimes you can criticise, sometimes you can challenge it, but always but the final purpose is to make the club doing well and in near future in long term future. So that’s the topic in my mind. So for that the next time I will speak with the fans again, so I will still try to address that and I think they will understand and we can work together.