For Mark Hughes, Manchester City powerbrokers Garry Cook and Brian Marwood went missing after their defeat to Tottenham last week, it has been revealed.
The Daily Mail says long distrustful of Marwood, Hughes had become similarly suspicious of Cook in recent weeks. After Wednesday's defeat at Tottenham he didn't see either of them until Saturday's game. No text messages of support. No phone calls to offer encouragement.
Hughes never wanted Marwood at the club and objected when it appeared he was to be given a 'director of football' title on his arrival in March of this year. He never once thought Marwood was on his side and, as he sought answers at Eastlands on Saturday lunchtime, he certainly wasn't around to give any.
"It was weird," said one of Hughes's inner circle yesterday. "Nobody would meet our gaze before kick-off. Our wives were upstairs having their lunch and we were beginning to realise we were effectively out of work. But nobody would actually tell us."