It is human nature for our eyes and minds to transfix on the newest, shiniest thing in the building. Football fans are no different with new signings.
Much of the buzz surrounding Cardiff City's positive start to the season has centred around the instant impact of several key new additions. Ryan Allsop, Mahlon Romeo, Cedric Kipre, Jamilu Collins, Andy Rinomhota, Romaine Sawyers, Callum O'Dowda, Sheyi Ojo and Jaden Philogene have all come in for regular praise so far, and rightly so, too.
But one of the biggest success stories of the last few months was put into action long before any of these new faces strolled through the door at Cardiff City Stadium.
READ MORE: Cardiff City boss Steve Morison delivers devastating Jamilu Collins injury update
At the end of January, in a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, Perry Ng was deployed as a right centre-half in a back three. While, initially, it was thought that selection was just a horses-for-courses type of scenario, there was a grander plan in place, all gearing towards the start of this campaign.
Steve Morison and his coaching staff must be given credit for that, it has been a masterstroke.
Many had their doubts, though, that Ng would work well in a back four. The Championship is a physical division, boasting an army of giant forward players and centre-backs who regularly score from set plays and second phases.
Well, given the way he has started this current campaign, onlookers were silly to doubt such a talented player. Barring that sending off against Norwich City, Ng has been the embodiment of this new-look, progressive Cardiff City and they missed him terribly during their only league defeat of the season against Reading.
In fact, when Ng has been on the pitch this season, Cardiff have not conceded a single goal so far. Long may that continue, the Bluebirds will hope.
Cardiff needed 29 league games to register a clean sheet last season and have matched that tally within just four fixtures this time around. That's rather remarkable. While Ng cannot take all the credit, of course, he is certainly responsible for his fair share of the plaudits.
The number of times Ng cut out dangerous passes from West Brom players on Wednesday night before launching the Bluebirds' own attack was truly impressive. He is simply unflappable in possession and that seemingly small cog serves to grease the whole wheel.
"It was a crucial part to how we want to play as a team," Morison said of shifting Ng to centre-back at the beginning of the season. "I personally believe the game is changing. If you look at our league, how many teams play long? Direct? It’s very low. I don’t think it’s as much of an issue as it was previously.
"Is he going to give a goal away this year? Most probably. Is he going to take a risk at some point? Most probably? But, what you get with Perry is, he will do that and he will literally take the ball straight away again and try and do it and he’ll get it right.
"He is excellent at what he does with the ball and you have to look at what he does without the ball, he reads the game so well. It is like a Beano mag for him when he is out there.
"The amount of times the ball gets played through and I’m like ‘Oh no, they are in!’ But he steps across and takes it. It’s a skill, an art. He has been top drawer and we missed him massively in that one game he wasn’t there."
Let's caveat this by conceding that once or twice this season, Ng might get outjumped by a towering opposition player and it may lead to a goal. That will likely happen. He is only 5ft 9ins and not the physical brute that, say, Kipre is, so that will happen.
He will balance that, though, by neutralising innumerable chances with his invariably excellent positional play and will help to mount more attacks that lead to more Cardiff goals than Bluebirds defenders of days gone by. It's a balancing act which has been weighed up and the coaching staff, at least on the evidence we have so far, have got it bang on.
"It started when we played Nottingham Forest earlier this year. He steps out, takes the ball and puts Jordan [Hugill] through on goal. He does that well," Morison added.
"I’m really pleased for him. It’s something we have earmarked and I’m glad he is doing really well."
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