Liam Keen comment: Jeff Shi departure necessary after Wolves mismanagement

Whether you prefer the romanticism of football or the brutal reality of the financial bottom line, something had to change at Wolves.

Considering the mismanagement of the football club, the litany of terrible decisions and the team's plight on the pitch, Jeff Shi had to go.

It is perfectly acceptable that Jeff Shi had the best interests of Wolves at heart, but he had gotten away relatively unscathed with so many poor calls that something had to give.

He was the boss, the man who made the decisions and ultimately the man who led Wolves to this dire situation.

He may have spent almost 10 years at Wolves but his knowledge of football is sub-par and his unwillingness to listen to people experienced in football was his downfall. 

He remains chairman and CEO of Fosun Sports Group, the subsidiary company of Fosun that Wolves falls into, and the club have assured people he will not oversee any more 'operational duties' at Wolves.

That has to be the reality. The club must use it as a reset, move on and allow new people to take helm. However, while Jeff Shi is involved with Fosun Sports Group, he is likely to always cast some eye over Wolves, even from a distance.

Fosun's Nathan Shi has taken over as interim executive chairman and the club are aiming to appoint someone permanently in the future, however it is possible that Nathan Shi gets the gig. Time will tell.

The bottom line is that Nathan Shi has no football experience and he must listen to those around him, or he cannot be the man to take charge in the long-term.

Also, there is an argument that Wolves need a proper football CEO regardless of who takes the chairman job permanently. The club needs strategic change, clear guidance and an ambitious vision.

For supporters who have had enough of Fosun, they will want someone external that has no ties to the Chinese conglomerate.

For the chairman position that is highly unlikely to happen, however a new role that focuses the club's attention in the right ways, communicates well with supporters and bridges that gap would be a smart move. Laurie Dalrymple was excellent at that side of things and Wolves need someone who will communicate clearly.

Nathan Shi has not had the chance to prove himself in that regard yet and perhaps he is capable of it, but Jeff Shi certainly was not.

His final interview before departing, with BBC WM, saw him stumble awkwardly through some good questioning and come out with answers that were definitely going to come back to haunt him.

Stating relegation would see no jobs lost at Wolves was a stunning claim, while contradicting his previous statements on eSports and self sustainability was predictable.

That interview did very little to appease fans or bring down the temperature. If anything, it did the opposite.

Jeff Shi did oversee some fantastic times at Wolves, with a return to the Premier League, two seventh-placed finishes, a Europa League quarter-final and an FA Cup semi-final.

He did get a lot of things right and helped bring this club back to where it belongs.

But consistent mistakes have led us here and for many, his legacy will be one of relegation and some of the club's lowest times for many years.

Jeff Shi had to go, there was no other choice, and it is down to Fosun to make the right next steps.