West Brom are in a rather promising position at this moment in time.
On the pitch, Carlos Corberan‘s side currently sit 5th in the Championship table. They are eight points clear of 7th place Hull City.
The Baggies are therefore on track to secure a spot in the play-offs this season. That will of course, give them a shot at promotion back to the Premier League.
Off the pitch, things are looking up for West Brom as well. Last month saw the long-awaited takeover of the club, with Florida businessman Shilen Patel purchasing a controlling stake in the club from Guochuan Lai.
Patel already looks to have become a popular figure with Baggies fans thanks to his immediate and clear passion for the club.
Now it seems as though he wasted no time in making a positive impression on the West Brom squad either.
Jed Wallace discusses Shilen Patel introduction
Patel wasted no time introducing himself to the fans after taking over at The Hawthorns, and it appears it was the same with the playing staff as well.
West Brom attacker Jed Wallace has now revealed how the club’s new chairman joined the squad for a pre-match meal ahead of last month’s 2-2 draw at QPR.
Revealing what Patel said during that first introduction to the squad, Wallace told The Birmingham Mail:
“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.”
West Brom are next in action after the international break on 29th March. The Baggies are set to travel to The Den to face Millwall in that match.
More encouraging signs for West Brom
Patel certainly seems to have done everything right since he completed his takeover of the club.
He immediately pledged to be open and involved with the fanbase while at The Hawthorns, a big difference from his predecessor.
So far, he does seem to have done that with his social media activity highlighting his passion and interest for the club.
His actions have also backed that up, with Patel already paying off one of the loans that had been hanging over West Brom.
Now, it seems as though the new chairman has also made moves to get off to a strong start with his relationship with the first-team squad as well.
That in turn, ensures that there ought to be plenty of harmony at The Hawthorns, that will ensure everyone is moving in the same direction.
With that in mind, it does look as though West Brom can look forward to an enjoyable and successful period under the ownership of Patel.