How the West Midlands' Asian revolutions are faring so far

Steve Bruce ordering a kebab in his training kit en route to shaming a work-shy star. The rival across town settling down after being run by a money launderer. A tracksuited Welshman discovering four centre-halves at once isn't necessary. Some bothersome Wolves went foraging on Merseyside.

The Far East era in the West Midlands is certainly off to an interesting start.

Here, theScore ranks the influence of Asian ownership at Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, and Wolverhampton Wanderers so far.

Aston Villa

Owner: Tony Xia

Worth: £990 million

2016-17 transfer expenditure: £54.2 million

One criticism that can't be levelled at Xia is a reluctance to dip into his suit pocket. Aston Villa's spend preceding and during the 2016-17 campaign outstrips nine Premier League clubs as the fallen giant seeks an instant return to the top flight.

The success of Xia's acquisitions has been a mixed bunch. Goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini lasted only a few months and blasted the club's training regime before skulking back to Italy, while £12-million Ross McCormack bizarrely blamed his 4-foot-6 high electric gates for not being able to appear at training.

The Mirror's Neil Moxley went further by suggesting manager Steve Bruce - who succeeded Robert Di Matteo in October - drove to McCormack's residence to take a picture of the small hurdle, and images online suggested he'd nipped into a local kebab house on the way.

Madcap stuff, but the success of arrivals Jonathan Kodjia and Mile Jedinak is undeniable, and the recent signing of Conor Hourihane looks a wise snag.

Despite the extravagance of Xia - he's won a legion of followers at Villa Park - the club sits a poor 13th in the Championship. For a businessman who appears fond of mathematics, the vast expenditures haven't necessarily equalled success.

Concerns linger around Xia's credentials for such an esteemed role in the game, too. The Daily Mail has noted he's a "personal friend" of Chinese president Xi Jinping, so perhaps is primarily motivated by boosting the country's profile, rather than improving Villa's fortunes. In addition, The Telegraph found reports in Xia's homeland which claimed he'd fabricated his academic record.

Rating: D

Birmingham City

Owner: Paul Suen Cho Hung

Worth: £440 million

2016-17 transfer expenditure: £7.8 million

The poor relation in the West Midlands is Birmingham's Paul Suen, but his reputation of turning around flailing businesses must give hope to a club that has won merely two League Cups in its 148-year history.

Birmingham's transfer dealings have been shrewder than those of its great rival two miles down the road. Turning Ryan Shotton's loan into a permanent stay was common sense, but Lukas Jutkiewicz was a smart buy and Che Adams continues to show promise.

The Blues are currently stationed in 12th, a spot above archrival Villa, but at this juncture of last season they stood seventh, just short of the play-off places on goal difference.

It's a gradual build in Birmingham, and those in the stands should exercise patience now that they're out of the clutches of Carson Yeung's money-laundering ownership.

Rating: C

West Bromwich Albion

Owner: Guochuan Lai

Worth: £2.8 billion

2016-17 transfer expenditure: £32.3 million

Like most cunning investors or politicians, Lai made all the right noises when he put the finishing touches on his West Brom takeover late last summer. He reminisced about the Baggies' visit to his native China in 1978, and showed a refreshing trust in stability when he pledged his support for manager Tony Pulis. Unlike many contemporaries in English football, Lai was an owner who appeared to have respect for West Brom's structure and heritage.

The Welsh handler wasn't satisfied with his squad in mid-August, saying: "The club has almost stagnated" by calling on the same players for many years. Its personnel (and indeed, Pulis' defence-first philosophy) needed shaking up.

The superb early-summer acquisition of Matt Phillips was complemented by the additions of Allan Nyom - a marauding full-back when Pulis had favoured four centre-halves for so long - and, most notably, Nacer Chadli. West Brom has since been closer to troubling the European places rather than the lower reaches of the division.

The amount Lai has crammed into his savings account would suggest ambitions will gradually rise at the Hawthorns - so perhaps Pulis isn't a long-term overseer of this outfit - but the Baggies may have just brushed aside the tumultuous days of yo-yoing between the two top tiers and seemingly being under caretaker charge on an annual basis.

Rating: A

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Owner: Guo Guangchang

Worth: £4.4 billion

2016-17 transfer expenditure: £11.5 million

Guangchang is the richest man in the West Midlands, and with the assistance of super agent Jorge Mendes, aims to take Wolves to the summit of the country's game.

The 49-year-old came from a poor family - his dad a labourer and his mother feeding her family with homegrown sweet potatoes - but received a government bursary to study at Shanghai's Fudan University.

He made the most of his opportunity, and now chairs Fosun International Limited while having assets in British travel agency Thomas Cook and other businesses.

There hasn't been evident progress at Molineux, with the club occupying 18th place in the Championship and certain deals appearing made to appease the club's Portuguese connections rather than satisfy lacking areas of the squad. The managerial appointment of Walter Zenga in the summer was an unequivocal disaster, and lasted merely three months.

But there's cause for optimism on the Compton Park training pitches due to the side's exertions in the FA Cup. A deserved 2-0 victory at a full-strength Stoke City in the third round was followed by something rather historic on Saturday: a 2-1 win at Liverpool to become the first club assured of a place in the competition's fifth round.

Related: Liverpool humbled at home by Wolves to cap off worrisome week

Maybe Guangchang will polish off a diamond in the Black Country; a traditional coal-mining area which, like him, is famed for manual labour and hard work.

Rating: C+