But O'Neill vehemently denied Barry's claim, saying: "The chairman and I were surprised at Gareth's comments, " he said.
Barry wants to know the plans O'Neill has in place to bolster the squad at the Midlands club as he weighs up his chances of winning some silverware with Villa.
And Collymore says O'Neill could well persuade Barry to stay at Villa Park.
Liverpool have made a players-plus-cash offer for the 27-year-old but O'Neill is unwilling to let Barry leave.
Collymore knows better than most the dilemma facing Barry having played at Anfield and worked under O'Neill during his time at Leicester City.
O'Neill claimed the Merseysiders had undervalued Barry after the Reds bid was revealed in reports.
The Villa boss has always maintained that he does not want to sell Barry, who has become a regular England international since O'Neill took over at the club.
O'Neill had criticised Benitez's approach for Barry but the Liverpool manager insisted he had done nothing wrong in making known his interest in the midfielder.
In the interview that led to his punishment, Barry admonished Villa for not trying hard enough to keep him - even though O'Neill insisted they want him to stay.
Villa boss Martin O'Neill says he is desperate to hold on to the versatile Barry and talks between the pair will have a key influence on the player's decision.
Barry had previously been ordered not to report for pre-season training after criticising manager Martin O'Neill in an unauthorised newspaper interview.
This time, Boro looked unable to respond and Martin O'Neill's revitalised Villa side turned the screw when Petrov connected with Gareth Barry's pass to fire past Schwarzer.
BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | Middlesbrough 1-3 Aston Villa
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