I didn’t buy Villa to make money, says Xia as he backs beleaguered Bruce

ASTON VILLA’S owner Dr Tony Xia hit back at critics before his club’s crucial Championship game at Newcastle by insisting manager Steve Bruce is in place because he has ‘guts’. Xia also said he did not take over Villa in order to make money and claimed parachute payments would not cover half of the squad’s wage bill. Villa are on a disastrous run of six defeats in eight winless games and in danger of dropping into a relegation scrap, sitting in 17th and just six points above the drop zone. Bruce has come under scrutiny from supporters for overseeing the sequence despite bringing in six players during the January transfer window, including £9million striker Scott Hogan. Xia sacked Roberto Di Matteo earlier this season after just five months in charge with the club picking up 10 points from 11 Championship games. But the Chinese businessman, responding to a critical blog, suggested Bruce has the nous to steer the situation round. Xia wrote on Twitter: ‘Chose RDM not 4 EC title (Champions League). Sack not just caused by poor results. 1st Need was a man with guts. ‘I didn’t buy Villa 4 business purpose. I never expected making money from it. Para £ can’t even cover half wages.’ Newcastle are on course for an immediate return to the Premier League but Magpies manager Rafa Benitez has sympathy with Bruce. ‘If you are relegated, you have to change half of the squad because they were not good enough,’ said Benitez.