To paraphrase Mick McCarthy, Sam Bowen came into pre-season ahead of this campaign like a different man. After he and assistant Terry Connor "barked" at him to produce more, he evolved his game from a sitting midfielder into more of an all-rounder.
Encouraging performances against Premier League side Brighton in the FA Cup and others in the Championship prompted many to believe he was going to be the next young gun to break through. McCarthy said the player was fitter and had almost reinvented himself over the summer.
He was composed on the ball and was gaining confidence higher up the pitch. Indeed, the manager placed so much faith in him that Ryan Wintle was even sent on loan to Blackpool, citing Bowen's emergence as one of the key factors.
READ MORE: How Sam Bowen started the season with a bang
Bowen then suffered a foot injury and McCarthy, who was an admirer of the midfielder, was sacked. Steve Morison came in and the 21-year-old has been unable to force his way back into the first-team fray. His last game for the Bluebirds' first team was the 2-0 defeat by Fulham on October 20.
It was perhaps a sliding-door moment for Bowen. The Wales Under-21 international probably felt he was on an upward trajectory and had a clear shot at staking a claim for a spot in that Bluebirds midfield.
Suffice to say, the make-up of this Cardiff side now is completely different to when he sustained his plantar fascia injury in the autumn. There is no clear shot at any position for those fringe players now, let alone a central midfielder.
Wintle, the man who was essentially ousted by Bowen at the beginning of the campaign, has been a revelation since Morison recalled him from Blackpool in January. Joe Ralls has been consistently very good and Tommy Doyle has been a little gem since joining from Manchester City.
Below that, Will Vaulks has done excellently when he has had to step up in the absence of one of the above, Rubin Colwill is an exciting prospect and Eli King is the next young talent who has seen faith placed in him by the coaching staff and fills a midfield berth on the bench.
Even established, experienced players Marlon Pack and Leandro Bacuna cannot get a sniff at the minute, meaning Bowen could now be as low as ninth in the midfield pecking order.
"We have got a lot of central midfielders," Morison said this week. "He is behind the others in that. He has come back and he's training with the under-23s a lot, because we have got a fully-fit squad, we have 20 players every day.
"He is one who comes up and trains with us every now and then. He is a work in progress. He has got to fight and get his way back into the squad like everyone else.
"No one is entitled to anything, you have to work hard and get back into the squad. He is no different to all of the other under-23s players. He is down there and he will play for the under-23s on Friday away at Colchester."
There is nothing to suggest he won't bounce back from this setback, though. Of course, that is what the game is all about, meandering through peaks and troughs.
Even McCarthy, the man who gave him his first-team shot this term, said he and Connor had reservations over whether Bowen could find that next gear required to force his way into the reckoning. The City youngster has to go once again and find another gear.
Bowen has another year left on his deal, but he is at a crucial juncture in his career. He will need another pre-season just as good as, if not better than, last year if he is to give Morison and his staff food for thought. We have seen how well Morison operated in the January transfer window and the quality he brought in, that is only going to escalate in terms of volume this summer and that means yet more competition.
Wintle's work-rate and speed following his reintegration, Doyle's clear ability, Ralls' consistency, Colwill's moments of magic, they should all serve as benchmarks for Bowen as he looks ahead to the next few months and even next season. Because he has his admirers, he gained a vocal backing from many supporters even from his fleeting appearances at the beginning of the season.
The question is; can he kick on again and show even more? That's the task which Morison has just put to him.
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