Why Aston Villa owner Tony Xia shouldn't be on Twitter

Dr Tony Xia has been making the headlines for months now following some of his comments about his club Aston Villa on social media.

New owner Dr Tony Xia during the press conference

When news first broke of a takeover being confirmed, Villa fans were ecstatic at the prospect. What they didn’t know, however, is what kind of owner they’d be getting. Dr Tony Xia is a successful businessman who saw alot of promise in Aston Villa as a football club. In addition to this, he also seemed to see potential in the world of Twitter.

Since taking over at Villa Park, Xia has used the account to announce transfer plans, berate players, celebrate victories and even reveal some ins and outs of running a football club. It was a fresh approach that we hadn’t really seen on this scale before, with David Gold of West Ham being the only other big name to do such a thing.

The problem with all of this is that because it’s so fresh, nobody knows just how damaging it could prove to be. By declaring all of these things on Twitter, Xia finds himself at risk of making a mockery out of the club if they don’t succeed. His confidence is evident as well as his passion, but if his club don’t translate that into success on the pitch then it’ll leave him looking foolish.

Aston Villa owner Dr Tony Xia in the stands

It may also throw other clubs off doing business with him in the future due to the comical nature of the whole thing. Sure, they’ve made some big signings in this window, but if things start to turn sour then it makes the whole process of him trying to engineer deals seem obsolete.

There’s also the question of how much input Di Matteo is getting in these proceedings. As has been seen in the first few games, the club have struggled to adapt to life in the second tier and you have to wonder how much business was done in consideration of the manager. The fees did initially seem inflated, and it could be a case of the owner using his heart over his head.

New manager Roberto Di Matteo and new owner Dr Tony Xia during the press conference

He’s also burning bridges. After calling Ian Holloway a failed player and a failed manager, it’s clear that he isn’t going to hold back when it comes to speaking his mind. If that situation arises again with someone in a higher position of power, it could lead to all kinds of problems.

At first it seemed like a fun prospect for fans to see their owner on social media, but now that the dust has settled and they’ve won only one league match so far this season, it could be seen as a detriment.

New manager Roberto Di Matteo and New owner Dr Tony Xia pose after the press conference