During Manchester City's unprecedented slump this season, the unity at the club has been striking. Pep Guardiola signed a new contract in November when results had started to go south, Erling Haaland agreed nine more years after an awful run of form with the message being that they are confident they will return to their best.
Far from the usual tales of lost dressing rooms or bitter breakdowns that usually accompany a team sliding down the table, City have for the most part pulled together in an effort to show that their golden era is not coming to an end.
Changes have already been made though. Four new players arrived in the January window for a combined sum of nearly £180m and have already made their mark, with Guardiola beaming at recent performances from Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush and Vitor Reis.
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There has been a public acknowledgment that the average age of the squad had crept too high, and the manager made clear last month that players cannot be relied upon in the squad if they are injured so often they are scarcely available. Leo Messi did not get a reputation for becoming the best in the world by playing once a month.
More movement is expected this summer, and one confirmed departure that has already made people think is that of outgoing sporting director Txiki Begiristain, the man who has steered recruitment since 2012 and has been heavily responsible for Guardiola staying as long as he has in Manchester and enjoying the success that he has.
Guardiola described the news as like a part of himself was leaving, and Begiristain's departure leaves players and their representatives with something new to deal with for the first time at City.
That comes in the form of Hugo Viana, who was handpicked to be Begiristain's successor due to his work at Sporting but also the confidence within the club that he could take over without City skipping a beat on recruitment. A phased introduction has helped, with the new man's influence already seen in the signing of Reis.
Viana's arrival is exciting for a club looking to continue their era of success, but it has reduced the safety net for players who are already feeling less confident after the drop in level this season.
The sporting director is guaranteed to be a part of the club's future, yet after a campaign that has gone off course there has been some wondering within the squad about who can say they will definitely be part of his plans.
This is natural when such a major change happens, and Viana will get accustomed with the whole squad before he fully replaces Begiristain in July.
For now though, it adds to the feeling at the Etihad that there is plenty to play for between now and the end of the season as everyone looks to prove to old and fresh eyes that they can still contribute.
