Aston Villa owner Dr. Tony Xia had recently defended former team owner Randy Lerner from his critics, saying that comparing the two of them is "unfair" and both of them only wants the good of the club.

The controversial new owner is known to utilize social media as his platform to express his feelings about running the relegated former English Premier League club and he used it again this time in trying to stand up for his Villa predecessor.

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The Birmingham Mail reported that the moment Xia "discovered Twitter, his life changed forever" as he was convinced that it would be "the way he was going to interact with fans".

Up to now he was using it to promote "his views and values in 160 characters", which is something that endeared him to the club's fans and supporters.

However, that same report had blasted Lerner not only for his weak decision-making during transfer windows but also for "his poor recruitment at boardroom level", according to 90min. The article also compared the two owners with each other, saying that Lerner "didn't have the same energy or presence as Xia does".

The energetic 39-year-old Zhejiang, China native once again took to Twitter his opinion with regards to the comparisons and said that they are "unfair to both" him and Lerner.

"Randy is a nice man and he did want the club good," Xia said. "Though he was used by people who abused his trust. No comparison, it's unfair to both (of us)."

A lot of fans commended Xia for his show of grace about the former owner, although there are still several commenters who said that Lerner was responsible for the Villans' decline year after year.

The fans had repeatedly complained against Lerner's prolonged tenure as Aston Villa owner during the last few years of his almost 10-year reign. One of the most cited criticisms was Lerner's inattention and decreased day to day involvement in club operations until the team was relegated to the Championship at the end of last season.

TagsChina Football, China Football News, Tony Xia, Aston Villa, Randy Lerner