Dundee fans don’t have to look very far to see how losing two star players can help ruin a team.
Indeed, they only have to glance up the road to Tannadice.
The double departure of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong to Celtic in February of last year had a deep and lasting impact on the Tangerines that went beyond what the duo could actually contribute on the pitch.
It was a psychological blow that United only now appear to be recovering from.
With Kane Hemmings having left the Dark Blues for the unfashionable Oxford United, the great fear now is that Greg Stewart is about to follow him out the door.
Should that happen then there will be some seriously concerned Dundee fans out there.
It will also pile enormous pressure on manager Paul Hartley to replace Hemmings and Stewart with players of similar standard in a short space of time.
Hartley has already been unequivocal in his warning as regards a possible sale of Stewart.
He said: “There is no way we want to sell because we just know he is irreplaceable. There is no danger we can replace him.”
Those are words that can’t be dismissed by those who will be asked to consider any bids for the player in the days and weeks ahead.
