I've been pondering over my thoughts and to be honest, avoiding the overall whirlwind of the initial reaction and any hysteria that might have brought about.
I'll start by saying, it's really hard to read too much into that, or how we're shaping up for the season, on the basis of that game.
Now, in true forum fashion, I'm going to fully contradict that by reading loads into everything. Humour me.
First of 11 v 11, we get something from that. Villa were poor, but equally, we were solid. I'm full of admiration for how well we defended for so long. I posted a few times in the last couple of days that I just wanted us to be 'at it', Wilder's phrase. We were, and I believe, that tempo and organisation with 11 and we get something.
First point, IMO, not a sending off - Ramsdale is getting there. Shit decision, ruins the rest of the game.
Second point, good penalty save, poorish penalty. Never looked confident of scoring.
Our defending and solidarity, fantastic. Baldock, O'Connell, Berge, Basham, Ampadu, Enda, Fleck, Lunny all well drilled and at it. No time, energy or outlet to enable them to play enough, but truly brilliant defensive effort.
Burke, ran his knackers off. In another game where he's able to be a forward threat, I think he'll be useful to have around.
Berge, was class in his role and came into his own tonight. We now have real competition and depth in that position and are spoilt for choice. So composed.
Egan - that decision has fucked us. Like I say, I don't think it is a red. Now, we're without him for 3 further games, unless we appeal. By that point, worse case scenario, we've lost the first 5. If that were to happen, I would still genuinely believe that played 5, lost 5 isn't a reflection of how well equipped we are. We'd need a run with a settled side to show what we're about. In Ampadu, we have some quality cover now and I thought he did well when he came on.
Ramsdale - IMO, Henderson gets to that goal. I can't help comparing, I think Henderson has more natural spring and gets there and makes the save. This is no Ramsdale bashing, just my opinion on that goal.
Lunny - I'm not onto bashing the lad here, and I'm not on that bandwagon, there's no scapegoating to be had, or at least not based on owt of substance. All summer, the talk has been of will he sign a new contract, can we afford to keep him but I actually wonder whether we ought to be able to afford to upgrade his position. He was effectively a £600k signing from Oxford, in League One. We saw his purple patch last season, but he is not yet a consistent performer at this level, and wasn't even so at the level below. I wonder whether a consistent, high performer at the level below could even be considered to be an upgrade - i.e. Swift.
Upfront - tonight shows again that we are woefully short. It was never going to be a strikers game with 10 men of course, but we lack that pace to open the game up even a tad and give us an outlet for the 10 men, beyond Burke's willing, once he was knackered. Burke ran and ran, but then the second most mobile option from the bench was McBurnie. We ideally need to two forwards, with Moose out for the foreseeable, but I doubt that will happen.
Targets - in dream land, one RCM and two forwards. Ideally, I'd hope for one midfielder and one forward by the end of the window. In reality? Who knows what we'll get done. Goals remain our main issue.
In conclusion, it's too early to judge owt for certain yet, unless you're me writing this, and then Lunny is wank, Henderson's better than Ramsdale, we need three signings and we're shit up top.
v. 
Live TV Coverage:
