BBC NEWS: “The one demand I have for Shilen Patel” – A clear message given to the West Brom owner.
This post is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which features personal comments from FLW Fan Pundits on breaking news, teams, players, managers, possible signings, and more.
Since Shilen Patel took over West Bromwich Albion seven months ago, the atmosphere at The Hawthorns has been positive.
After missing out in the Championship play-offs last season at the semi-final stage, the Baggies are back with a fury in the 2024/25 campaign, with Carlos Corberan continuing to lead a team that is firing on all cylinders.
Albion are back among the promotion-chasing group at the top of the league, with only two defeats this season. Patel and his boss appear to have a strong working connection from the start.
We asked Football League World’s resident Albion fan, Callum Burgess, if there are any demands he would make of the owner now that things are looking up at the Hawthorns.
Shilen Patel encouraged to continue his upward spiral as West Bromwich Albion manager.
Since taking over at the Hawthorns, Patel has made efforts to improve both on and off the field, including a £1 million upgrade in the training facility announced in the summer.
These kind of expenditures, as well as astute player additions, have put Albion up for a bright season, as seen by their early showing in the current campaign.
With the environment around the club so positive right now, Burgess wants that feel-good mentality to continue, with unity throughout the club from top to bottom.
When asked what one demand he would make of the club’s current owner at this time, Burgess said: “The one demand I have for Shilen Patel is that he maintains the positive trajectory he has had at the club, as well as the impact he has had in such a short period of time since taking over the club.”
“It feels like the club can only go higher since he took ownership, and it looks incredibly good right now; he’s investing in the training ground.
“He has also supported Carlos Corberan in the transfer market, bringing back Mikey Johnston to the club when most Albion supporters believed he would never return.
| Mikey Johnston’s 2023/24 West Bromwich Albion Stats – As Per FotMob | |
|---|---|
| Appearances (Starts) | 18 (15) |
| Goals (Assists) | 7 (1) |
| Chances Created | 21 |
| Pass Accuracy | 84.5% |
| Dribbles Completed | 39 |
Mikey Johnston’s move is a symbol of West Bromwich Albion’s Premier League aspirations.
The EFL imposed a business plan during the summer transfer window, limiting West Brom’s ability to pursue large transfers owing to financial constraints.
With that in mind, the club had to comb the transfer market for the finest value signings they could find, leaving Corberan to piece together the elements he had at his disposal, with the results evident in the Championship so far.
Patel did sanction one signing: Mikey Johnston’s return to the club after a successful loan spell with Celtic the previous season.
With seven goals in 18 games, the Republic of Ireland international shown that he could make an impact in the next season, therefore re-signing him was viewed as a coup for the Black County team.
With ambitions of improving on last season’s playoff semi-final disappointment, such a high-profile addition might make all the difference in the coming year, with Burgess emphasizing the importance of Patel’s approval of the transaction.
He went on to say, “The fact that Johnston was someone Carlos Corberan truly wanted to bring into the club, and Shilen Patel supported that, demonstrates his ability to stick to his manager’s demands.
“So I would say keep committing to the club, see how far he can take us, because there is no doubt we have Premier League ambitions and making Albion a committed and long-standing Premier League member once again under his regime.”
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