There were genuine concerns from fans over the mood within the Swansea City squad when Michael Obafemi and Olivier Ntcham were dropped earlier on in the campaign.
Ntcham was not included in the matchday 18 as the Swans beat Queens Park Rangers 1-0 while Obafemi was left out of five successive starting line-ups - the most recent of which saw him come off the bench to bag a late winner at West Brom - amid transfer interest from Burnley in the summer window.
To their credit, the pair have returned with a bang. Ntcham has played like a man possessed in the two matches since the most recent international break while Obafemi's sheer desire cannot be questioned at present.
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Obafemi was physically spent following the conclusion of the dramatic comeback win at Watford, such was the shift he put in while Ntcham - who is now just one goal short of his tally for the entirety of last season - had to be withdrawn in the second-half, with replacement Ollie Cooper showing plenty of nous to get Swansea back on the front foot following a good spell of pressure from the Hornets.
It could so easily have gone the other way, although the QPR win was pivotal in showing that others - most notably Cooper - are willing to step up, graft and, most importantly, deliver if other stars aren't up to the challenge.
"Olivier was left out of the squad, so was Michael, for different reasons," Martin said after the triumph at Watford. "Their reactions since have been brilliant. I think, because of the way the staff treat them, and the players treat them, the way they behave, the door is always open for us.
"We sat down and explained to both of them why they weren't in the squad. Both were disappointed and frustrated. Everyone knows at this club, the supporters, staff and players, what they both possess in terms of performance, but it's about being consistent and being able to trust that, when they go on to the pitch, that we're going to get a certain level of performance.
"They've both been brilliant in the way they've reacted. Olivier deserved to start tonight after his impact in the game on Saturday, he got a goal and an assist and he was great [at West Brom], he brought energy. Tonight he was good, he has moments of quality that other people don't possess
"Michael didn't get a goal tonight, but it was probably one of the biggest shifts he's put in for us, in terms of his willingness to run. He was absolutely gone at the end physically so we'll have to look at Saturday to make sure he recovers well.
"But they both deserved the chance to play and thankfully for us we won the game. They're both in a really good place now and we have to make sure they stay in a good place."
It has ensured Russell Martin now has selection dilemmas all over the park, a welcome problem that will only get more difficult when the likes of Joe Allen and Jamie Paterson are deemed fit to play.
Steven Benda has been a giant since replacing Andy Fisher as goalkeeper. The German made vital saves to deny Keinan Davis and Hassane Kamara during the 2-1 success at Vicarage Road, and several others have caught the eye of late.
As mentioned, Cooper demonstrated so much maturity after coming off the bench in Hertfordshire while Joel Latibeaudiere - along with deadline day signing Fin Stevens - has a real battle on his hands to oust Matty Sorinola from the starting line-up.
Harry Darling will undoubtedly be itching to get more action following his late cameo at Watford having been restricted to just one appearance in the Swans' previous five matches prior to replacing Kyle Naughton against Slaven Bilic's troops.
But the biggest encouragement for fans to take from the Ntcham and Obafemi turnarounds is that the culture behind-the-scenes is clearly one the players can thrive on. The open door policy has already given numerous players lifelines, and it has all been for the greater good of the team on the pitch.
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