BBC NEWS: Shilen Patel’s statements demonstrate West Brom’s desire to excel where Guochuan Lai failed: View.

West Bromwich Albion will look to contend for promotion from the Championship this season.

West Brom lost to Southampton in last season’s play-off semi-finals, but they are expected to be among the promotion hopefuls again this season.

Despite working under an EFL-imposed business plan this summer to prevent a breach of PSR regulations, the Baggies had a busy summer, with 11 new players coming at The Hawthorns, and head coach Carlos Corberan has created a side capable of maintaining a promotion bid.

Since Shilen Patel’s £60 million acquisition of the club in February, which ended prior owner Guochuan Lai’s catastrophic reign, the team’s off-field performance has improved significantly.

Shilen Patel discusses West Brom’s aims

Lai purchased Albion from Jeremy Peace in 2016 for a reported cost of £200 million, hoping to boost the club’s performance after six years in the Premier League.

The first year of Lai’s ownership was a success, with the Baggies finishing in the top half, but red flags soon emerged, and the club was relegated to the Championship the following season after a disastrous campaign in which three different managers – Tony Pulis, Alan Pardew, and Darren Moore – took charge of the team.

Albion almost returned to the top division in 2018-19, but were eliminated on penalties by local rivals Aston Villa in the play-off semi-finals under caretaker boss Jimmy Shan.

Slaven Bilic was chosen the Baggies’ new permanent manager in the summer of 2019, and he guided the club to automatic promotion in his first year in command, but he was unable to build on his success.

Albion’s underwhelming summer transfer window made it difficult to stay in the Premier League. Bilic was sacked in December after his side won only one of their first 13 league games. Despite the appointment of survival expert Sam Allardyce as his replacement, they were still relegated.

The Baggies struggled after returning to the Championship, with Valerien Ismael and Steve Bruce both failing to spark a promotion push, resulting in growing unhappiness with Lai and protests asking for him to sell.

Lai’s final appointment as Albion owner, Corberan, was arguably his best decision during his time at the club. However, he did not provide the Spaniard with the necessary backing in the transfer market and left a legacy of financial issues that Patel is still dealing with.

Patel has only been in charge of the Baggies for eight months, but his beneficial influence on the club is clearly clear.

Lai was increasingly absent in the later stages of his tenure at The Hawthorns, but Patel routinely attends matches when his business duties allow it, and Corberan has indicated that he has far more communication with the current owner.

“Now that Shilen is the owner, I have a contact that I probably didn’t have with the previous owner.” Corberan told Birmingham Live that Andrew Nestor, a sporting director, did not alter communication within the team, but rather contributed to it. Nestor is someone with whom Corberan often has weekly conversations.

“We’re talking in detail, and whenever they come here, I always spend time with them; I enjoy spending time with the people in charge, and they enjoy spending time with me.” We like discussing the goal and project, as well as analysing our club’s activities.

Patel may have issues in retaining Corberan, who has been linked with Burnley and Leicester City in the summer. He is also reportedly on the radar of Southampton.

Corberan dismissed reports regarding a move to St Mary’s, adding that he would be “very, very happy” to continue his stay at Albion. His excellent connection with Patel undoubtedly contributes to this decision.

With Patel at the helm and Corberan continuing to provide results, it is not surprising that the owner will achieve his ambition of establishing the Baggies in the Premier League over the next several years.

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