[TheJacko2000]

To be fair no one in China has heard of him but they heard about Fosun and Xai and obviously he couldn't give a rubbish. He needs to learn that if you do don't do what the fans want there going to be unsettled If He doesn't the Sack twonk he has obviously fallen for Williams and Pardew''s Promises.

You can't sack the owner mate.

[LiamTheBaggie]

You can't sack the owner mate.

He means sack Pardew?

[TheJacko2000]

He means sack Pardew?

Haha my bad. Well he'll find Lai amenable to that in about 118 hours.

[BaggieBoy04]

Haha my bad. Well he'll find Lai amenable to that in about 118 hours.

118 hours to long

[geoff]

The squad don't need a new voice, it needs a new squad!

players i think will look else were at the end of the season
 
Evans, Gibbs, Krychowiak, Phillips, Rodriguez, Rondón, Morrison?
retire McAuley, Barry.

[barnestormer]

players i think will look else at the end of the season
 
Evans, Gibbs, Krychowiak, Phillips, Rodriguez, Rondón, Morrison?
retire McAuley, Barry.

Think Jrod Rondon Mozza and Philips will stay the latter for the sole reason this will be his 3rd relegation on his CV and will probably be at his proper level.I would be surprised if a prem club came in for him.in short he's a fcin Jonah

[geoff]

Think Jrod Rondon Mozza and Philips will stay the latter for the sole reason this will be his 3rd relegation on his CV and will probably be at his proper level.I would be surprised if a prem club came in for him.in short he's a fcin Jonah

On the Morrison front i think his injury may be more serious than the club is saying.
Has for Jrod & Phillips the cut in wages could be the deciding factor.
The next man in charge has a massive job of rebuilding the club on his hands. 

[maccbaggie]

Think Jrod Rondon Mozza and Philips will stay the latter for the sole reason this will be his 3rd relegation on his CV and will probably be at his proper level.I would be surprised if a prem club came in for him.in short he's a fcin Jonah

No chance Rondon will stay - he'll have plenty of suitors.

[baggie82]

No chance Rondon will stay - he'll have plenty of suitors.

Which goal hungry ambitious clubs did you have in mind? 

[liverbaggie]

Do you know,I have a feeling that rondon might stay with us and I think he would be a force in the championship.

[Fritzl Palace]

Do you know,I have a feeling that rondon might stay with us and I think he would be a force in the championship.

Not a hope in hell. He will be in huge demand

[graka]

Not a hope in hell. He will be in huge demand

Totally agree. Other than the top 6 most of them
A bit random but I was talking to an Everton fan today at work they really rate him up there

[liverbaggie]

Will they all be queuing up to sign a striker that doesn't score,really?
He'll show allegiance to us and stay.
How much is he worth?

[TheJacko2000]

Not to mention a host of European clubs. He's worth between 25 and 35 million based on the cost of Slimani.

[liverbaggie]

35 million really?

[vrabbit]

This discussion probably needs to go in the Rondon thread. The narrative can easily be turned on Rondon's lack of scoring by pointing out the lack of support he received while playing for TP and the mess the club is now that they're heading for relegation. Couple that with his scoring record pre-WBA and I too think many clubs willl come asking. He'll still be 28 going into next season so I assume he wants some more time at a top-level league before he settles for the Championship.

[Hunnington Baggie]

Will they all be queuing up to sign a striker that doesn't score,really?
He'll show allegiance to us and stay.
How much is he worth?

with the fact we're relegated, i think 15-18 million isn't an unrealistic amount. He can easily get a good move to Spain or Germany.

we'd recoup what we spent of that I have little doubt.

[ex coseley kid]

Sorry, I seem to be in the wrong room. I thought this was the Guochuan Lai room? 

[Albion79]

I think when we go down Lai will go with a different approach to what a lot of us fans would like.

It would seem now is the time to reassess where we are at, put a new structure in place and create an identity like we have had previous, what we have now has stopped working, we are bottom of the league because we are by far the worst team in the league, not back luck, no injustices, as it stands we are the worst.

However, us fans dont have £150m + investment riding on the club, so although i would like to see the above structure and identity created, i think Mr Lai will view it different.

I expect us to be looking at Mick McCarthy, Neil Warnock, Steve Bruce types (not necessarily those) but people of that ilk, people who get you out the championship.

The football isnt great and there is no long term plan, its all about that season and i think we will end up with players like Cameron Jerome, Grant Leadbitter, Dave Nugent, etc (again, not necessarily those) but players who do well in the champ but cant do it in the premier league, championship journeymen.

I think Lai will just want us back on the gravy train, just by getting back there the rewards are great, should we get back in the premier league i imagine the manager will then be given a few months, struggling by November, sack them, bring in a Moyes, Pardew, Pulis, etc (again, not necessarily those) hope they keep you up and then repeat again for future seasons.

I initially thought Lai would be worried about empty seats, entertainment, etc because of the 'brand' but as somebody on the radio recently, just having a premier league football team link in the Far East is a huge thing, they are fanatical anyway so all the stuff like crowds, style of football, etc isnt really an issue, its premier league or nothing for an investor.

[darbolina]

I guess time will tell. I don’t see Lai as being quite as brutal to be honest but his sacking of Williams suggests he felt we took an undue risk in getting rid of Pulis and hiring Pardew. In his position , you can certainly see why he thinks that looking at Pulis’ results vs Pardew’s results (e.g. points per game for us).

I think we’ll see a pragmatic manager, one who it’s perceived can get results and I don’t think Lai or the club will be overly concerned with style , crowds or supporter’ a wishes so in that respect I agree with Albion79. This would be no different to the last few years anyway. Entertaining players cost a lot of money and can be unpredictable after all. I’ve never been against us being pragmatic , it was just that it seemed Pulis was being extreme in his approach to the point of depressing us. Other managers are similarly pragmatic e.g. Roy, Dyche, Martin O’Neill without being as defensively ‘extreme’ as Pulis.

Personally think we could see most of the squad stay except the obvious ones and maybe one or two who are sought after and good fees are offered.  This should mean we have a decent chance of getting back up.

We clearly need big changes , particularly at the top of the club, however, I hope Lai doesn’t pull everything apart which could do more harm in the long run. I suppose it’s his club now to do with what he wants.........?

[baggie82]

Not to mention a host of European clubs. He's worth between 25 and 35 million based on the cost of Slimani.

Can’t get my head around why anyone would be interested in paying big money for a striker who doesn’t score many, can’t control the ball and doesn’t understand the offside rule. Be interesting to see what actually happens in the summer presuming were relegated.

[eaststandbaggie]

Having worked in China there are only 2 important things

FACE.  And. PROFIT

In the championship they can achieve both

FACE when we win the Champions title
PROFIT when we get rid of the money grabbers and we had greatly reduced wage bill

[paulosull]

Having worked in China there are only 2 important things

FACE.  And. PROFIT

In the championship they can achieve both

FACE when we win the Champions title
PROFIT when we get rid of the money grabbers and we had greatly reduced wage bill

not with this lot , league one here we come

[Albionic]

Rondon has stayed fit despite being played up front on his own for long periods, he has stretched defences, he is capable of scoring goals at prem level, put hin in an Everton / Leicester team and he will thrive. = Gone !

[Albionic]

Looks like Mr lai has more than WBA to be fretting about, Palm are struggling which cannot be good for us, can it?