The Villans haven’t lived up to expectations in the Championship this season.
Andy Hinchcliffe has told Sky Sports’ EFL Weekly podcast to expect an Aston Villa surge up the table by the end of October.
Villa have begun the new Championship season sluggishly, winning one of their first eight league fixtures having thrown away a number of leads late on.
Before the campaign, the Villans, alongside Saturday’s opponents Newcastle United, were installed as favourites to make an instant return to the Premier League, where they had previously resided for 29 straight years.
A summer window outlay greater than that of Real Madrid only strengthened that perception, though Roberto Di Matteo’s side currently sit 18th in the standings.
However, according to Hinchcliffe, things will come together before long.
“Eventually, I think come the end of October, we’ll see what Villa are all about,” the former England international told Sky Sports’ EFL Weekly podcast. “They’ve got some really solid signings with Jedinak going in, some glamour signings, some strikers, some very experienced players.
“I think in time, maybe another month, things will settle and we’ll see Villa rise up the table. They have to be in the top six at the very least with spending that amount of money and I’ll be surprised if they’re not close to being in the top two along with Newcastle.”
In contrast to Villa, fellow relegated sides Norwich City and Newcastle have recovered from their early-season stutters and occupy second and third place respectively.
The Villans could climb to 12th if they beat the Magpies at Villa Park, but will be sucked ever closer to the bottom three if they succumb to their third league defeat of the campaign.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
