It would seem Kalvin Phillips has reached that height in the ascent when his talent is appreciated almost as much in its absence as its presence. For England on Tuesday, read Leeds on Saturday.
Without him, the latter certainly provided a vivid portrait of a lost cause on their trip to Southampton.
They lost the battle for the midfield, they lost the game, and with it the wider pattern of results would also suggest Marcelo Bielsa's side are fast losing the sheen they acquired last season.
At times on the south coast, particularly before Armando Broja's winner, it was reasonable to wonder where the performance ranked among the worst of Bielsa's excellent reign.