Comment: Will West Brom owner Guochuan Lai show ruthless side again after losing face?

Even though China is becoming increasingly globalised, the concept of saving face or ‘MiànZi’ (面子), as it is known in the native tongue, is still incredibly important in business culture.

MiànZi is made up of three elements, ‘honour’, ‘reputation’ and ‘respect’, and in China it can make or break a deal.

It’s fair to say that last week’s controversies in Spain have seriously damaged Albion’s reputation in both this country and beyond.

The Baggies are currently the laughing stock of the Premier League. Five points adrift at the bottom of the table, seven points from safety, and now forced to deal with allegations that four of their senior players stole a taxi in Barcelona.

Any owner would be seething, but it’s highly likely Guochuan Lai is even more furious at this latest development. Crucially, he could be embarrassed by it.

Not only has the trip to Barcelona brought the club he owns into further disrepute, but it came mere hours after he ruthlessly sacked two members of the board in his own Night of the Long Knives.

Head coach Alan Pardew organised the trip to Spain in an effort to build team morale, and who knows, this latest controversy could still galvanise the players into a siege mentality.

However, based on Saturday’s first half, they returned with a hangover and a little else.

There are growing rumours of unrest inside the camp and suggestions that some players didn’t want to go to Spain in the first place.

Pardew’s decision to play Jonny Evans and Gareth Barry on Saturday after such a breach of discipline is unlikely to have gone down well with those on the fringes.

When Mark Jenkins returned as chief executive last week, his initial decision was to keep faith in Pardew for the run-in. Understandable, because the Baggies have been through enough disruption this season.

But then came Barcelona. Pardew may have been let down by his senior players, but it happened on his watch, on his trip.

Pardew is on thin ice with Jenkins, but there’s always the chance the matter is taken out of the chief executive’s hands.

Lai let former chairman John Williams advise him in the past, and he will still reeling from that mistake.

If he believes Pardew’s tenure as head coach is just losing him face, he may decide to act again, regardless of how disruptive it is or isn’t to the club.