The former Aston Villa striker is confident Dean Smith’s side will beat the drop this season.
Collymore has pointed to the club’s £120m investment in their squad as a principle reason for hope, believing that it was a necessary rebuild that sets them up well for a big season in the top-flight.
Dean Smith has been backed heavily; the manager appears to have been able to sign most of the players he’s wanted this summer.
Can the Villa boss now blend together all his arrivals with established talents and forge a team capable of finishing comfortably free from relegation?
Collymore reckons so, writing in The Mirror: “I feel the maximum they could achieve should be 12th and the worst will be 16th – 17th.
“But I have seen them live in pre-season in wins against Shrewsbury, Walsall and Charlton, and also RB Leipzig on TV, and been pleasantly surprised with the quality and style.
“They will take some scalps this season.”
Even in the pundit’s worst case scenario Villa still survive the season, and his prediction of scalps suggests that Villa could take some of the more established teams in the top-flight by surprise.
Teams up and down the division will certainly need to be wary of the Villans, who looks sharp and confident in pre-season.
They have committed match-winners like Jack Grealish ready to fight for the cause, emerging talents like John McGinn buoyed by the chance of playing in the Premier League for the first time and have made acquisitions like Wesley Moraes, who gives them added firepower.
Avoiding relegation will be the primary aim, but if they can finish even higher up the league and really consolidate their position in the top-flight, they’ll have the grounding to stay in the Premier League for a long time.
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