West Brom captain Wallace, who scored against Bristol City on Saturday, has revealed how the initial meeting with new owner Shilen Patel went. Shilen Patel, according to Jed Wallace, introduced himself to West Bromwich Albion’s squad before their recent draw with Queens Park Rangers by sitting down with them for their pre-match meal – and the players’ first impressions, like the fanbase’s, were particularly positive.
Albion’s new owner and chairman Patel, who finalized his full ownership of the club from Guochuan Lai at the end of February, has already watched games against Southampton and QPR. The Floridian wants to return to England in due course.
joined his family to witness Albion in action, in person. Patel witnessed Albion’s 2-2 draw with QPR in a frenetic meeting in London recently, but he took the opportunity to meet with the squad and break bread first.
Captain Wallace, who scored in the Baggies’ 2-0 win over Bristol City on Saturday, has led the line for Albion in recent weeks in the absence of a natural centre forward, and he praised Patel’s efforts to endear himself to Wallace and his teammates as he encouraged them in their bid to return to the Premier League at the third time of asking.
“He spoke to us before the QPR game and came to introduce himself to the lads – to be honest, it was very motivational what he said to us,” Wallace revealed. “He said we have an opportunity to make the fans really proud this season – and we shouldn’t take that opportunity for granted. It was great to see him, he had a pre-match meal with us.
“Things like that go a long way, being around a group of players, and I know he’s keen to come and watch a lot of our games, and that’s the way it should be. From the ground staff upwards, we all feel as though we’re pushing in the right direction.”
Albion, with their comfortable victory over the Robins at The Hawthorns on Saturday, are now especially cemented in the play-off places. They are eight points clear of seventh placed Hull City
While the Tigers have a game in hand, and manager Carlos Corberan has stressed that no complacency will be tolerated in Albion’s final stretch, it remains a highly sought-after position.
If you told a supporter that, after 38 games of this season, they’d have such a coveted lead over the chasing pack, despite the financial insecurity of the time and the disappointment of missing out on the top six on the final day of last season, many would be highly and pleasantly surprised. Albion, on the other hand, have a lot of talent in their ranks and a manager who is making the most of the team he has.
“We always knew the quality we had here – and the manager we have,” he said. “We did well as a club; we kept the noise to a minimal. The positive performance of the team has reduced negativity within the club.I stated that since the first day of the season, we have been unified on the training ground and with the supporters. They’ve been patient with us because games nowadays are like chess; it’s not like it was 10 years ago when it was bang bang bang, but that’s how the elite teams play these days.”
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