Steve Bruce shares West Brom takeover verdict, drops Guochuan Lai revelation from The Hawthorns
Former West Brom manager Steve Bruce has shared his verdict on the Baggies’ recent takeover and has even admitted that he had no contact with Guochuan Lai during his time with Albion.
The 63-year-old was in charge at The Hawthorns between February and October 2022 before departing after a poor start to the Championship season, with Carlos Corberan taking his place in the Albion dugout.
While Bruce still insists that things were heading in the correct direction under his management, he has revealed that he never spoke with Lai, admitting that the former Baggies boss’ lack of communication made things difficult.
As quoted by Birmingham Live on Tuesday (20 February) he said: “I never had any contact with the previous regime at all, which tells you something. I just spoke with Ron. That tells you everything about the time. It was difficult.
“I don’t know much about the new owners, but with ownership, if there’s no stability at the top, and we’ve seen the differences at all these clubs, it doesn’t have to pump millions into clubs. The supporters care about their club and how it’s looked after.
“The biggest thing is the communication, and if they’ve got no communication and there’s no face to it then it’s difficult for everybody concerned. I really hope the new owners help, obviously, and everybody gets behind it. It’s a great club, but it needs putting in the right direction.
“When clubs are put in the right direction from the top, we’ve seen it filter all the way through to everybody concerned.
“When there’s staleness at the top, it’s the same around the club. The manager, the chief executive, the chairman, the owner… they’re running it, and they’re in the firing line and they have to become accountable.”
Will Shilen Patel take West Brom back to the Premier League after his takeover?
It is clear from Bruce’s remarks that West Brom had turned into a bit of a circus under Lai’s management, a fact that supporters were already well too aware of given the constantly mounting debt at The Hawthorns.
While Bruce has been fairly criticised for his poor tenure in charge of Albion, it is clear that it was not an easy environment to work in behind the scenes, something fans will be hoping will change under Patel’s ownership.
The new West Brom owner’s presence at The Hawthorns for the clash with Southampton was an obvious step in the right direction and a clear indication that Patel intends to be more hands-on with his running of the football club.
Hopefully, the combination of Corberan and Patel will be more successful than that of Bruce and Lai and the Baggies will be able to make a return to the Premier League sooner rather than later.
In other West Brom news, an update has emerged surrounding when Yann M’Vila can make his Albion debut
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