Villa endure day-one disaster and we're all praying for Mings

In the 81st minute, Emiliano Martinez summed it all up with a perplexed shake of the head after denying - just barely - Newcastle United their 5th goal of the evening. The Magpies thrived like hornets buzzing over a honey-covered corpse. They left stinging, bastard welts on something already dead on the day.

They eventually got their fifth, and handed Villa their worst-ever opening day defeat. That's rough on Unai Emery, who is perhaps the least deserving person in the role to have that particular label.

It was grim up north, and the sense that it carried a 'TV season finale' level of dread with it, underscored by what seems to be horrific injury blow.

It looked a possible ACL/MCL injury. In actual fact, we don't know (yet) what happened.

All I know, as I write this, is that Tyrone Mings was in some serious pain, and has been rushed to an infirmary to await treatment.

In a figure of speech, it was Achilles' Heel. For so long, Mings has been the titan of the Villa, the brave heart at the centre, the colossus at the back. If Villa were an orchard, Mings would perhaps be the Oak. In a second, and in fairly innocuous circumstances, he was cut down. The camera lingered on him, until common sense took over and it retreated from Mings' heaving torso, as he appeared to be racking through sobs.

For a sport which thrives on marginal gains, Villa might be without their biggest variable for a long time. They are not the same team without him, and that's not exaggeration. They have won one (1) solitary league game without him in the team.

It's not just his ability though. There's a parasocial aspect to it, more so with Mings than any other player. I was upset to learn that Emi Buendia - perhaps my favorite Villa player - succumbed to an ACL injury just a few days ago. While we don't yet know how bad Mings' own issue is, I would struggle to relay the dread I felt seeing it happen through this newsletter. I watched the first half that followed with a vacant stare. There was a grimness to it.

I guess at the end of the day, I really like Tyrone Mings, and it hurts to see people you like in such pain - facing such consequences for doing what they love, and representing you & the Villa.

We're going to have to really like his replacement. Because he's going to have to be damn good to not only replace Mings, but help Villa improve on last season as is the aim.

The man, Pau Torres, clearly has the pedigree to do that - but he couldn't be more of a different player to Mings. How he and Villa adapt to this new change is the enforced narrative of this new season. Diego Carlos will also step into the spotlight in somewhat ironic fashion - a year after snapping his own achilles against Everton.

Moussa Diaby's opener will become typical of the forward going, well, forwards. He'll be incisive, rapid and intelligent up front. It's just a shame that it quickly became the subplot of all subplots - as Villa responded to Tonali's opener by gatecrashing the party at St James' that was unfolding before Mings went down.

There remains slight room for optimism. Villa aren't the first team to be mauled on opening day, and they won't be the last. They will bounce back. They were clearly rocked by the worst-case scenario occurring in the first-half. It shouldn't go unnoticed that Newcastle faced a similar fate against Villa just a few months ago. Ideally this match could be viewed down the line as two prizefighters with their eye on the prize trading devastating blows without putting their fists up in defense once. I find that hard to believe right now, but it is the case for optimism.

And sometimes, good projects require a humbling encounter. One which demands refocus, readjustment and dedication.

Villa have the right man in charge, and they will be better this season as it tracks on. They unfortunately encountered a beast today, and had to cope with their seasonal narrative being forced on them on day one in the worst case scenario. They won't have the benefit of it unfolding on them as they progress.

But now they know what the issue is, and they have the time to fix it before it becomes a destabilising problem week-in and week-out.

Again, it's just a shame this has rocked up to Villa's doorstep in the worst possible circumstance. We never have it easy.