No two seasons have been the same during Jurgen Klopp's time in charge at Liverpool.
But none of his previous full campaigns have ended with the obvious disappointment of this one, an 11-game unbeaten run unable to close the gap as the target of Champions League qualification was missed for the first time in seven years.
There were, of course, myriad reasons for the Reds falling short. And it would be a significant concern if they failed again next season, particularly given it's likely the top five will progress to a revamped competition for Europe's elite clubs.
The timing of this season's underachievement, though, is particularly intriguing given the actions of the club's owners Fenway Sports Group earlier in the campaign.
READ MORE: Liverpool's £80m move about to pay off as next targets emerge after Alexis Mac Allister
Back in November it emerged FSG were exploring the option of a full sale of the club, an implicit admission their present model could no longer allow Liverpool to fully compete with the new money that has flowed into the Premier League in recent times. Manchester City, their main rivals during the Klopp era, have long been majority state-owned, but now Newcastle United are likewise and Chelsea taken over by a billionaire-led consortium more than happy to splash the cash.
How happy are your with FSG's ownership of Liverpool? Answer this question and more in our special fan survey below.
That Newcastle beat Liverpool to the last Champions League qualification berth will not have passed unnoticed, even if the absolute mess that became Chelsea's season was evidence moneybags owners don't always equate to instant success on the field.
An FSG statement later clarified they were seeking outside investment while John Henry, the FSG co-founder and Liverpool principal owner, in February went on the record to declare the club was not for sale. But it was perhaps no coincidence that, mere weeks after the initial story emerged, the Glazer family opted to put Manchester United on the market, aware the pool of buyers for such huge sporting institutions is small.
Almost eight months on, United are still owned by the Glazers. And, similarly, FSG appear no nearer to acquiring outside investment into Liverpool, despite Henry stating to the ECHO in March they had identified potential investors for the club.
As the ECHO provides a forum for the views of fans the uncertainty behind the scenes at Anfield - FSG president Mike Gordon stepped away from the day-to-day running of Liverpool before resuming the role - has done little to help quell the sense of unease among growing sections of the Reds fanbase, while offering the small but vociferous #FSGOUT movement on social media further ammunition.
And the decision to step away from long-time interest in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham in April was a stark reminder of the financial restraints within which the club continue to work in the transfer market, the purse strings likely to be tightened even further should the absence from the Champions League be extended beyond next season.
The new £80million Anfield Road stand is nearing completion and will bump the capacity up to 61,000, meaning Liverpool's next home league game will be watched by more fans than ever before in the club's history. Infrastructure, though, must now take a backseat with a squad rebuild needing to be ramped up.
And the actions of FSG over the last 12 months have reiterated the Reds' model is no longer fit for the purpose of consistently challenging for honours over several years. That won't be from a sale, unless the owners perform a remarkable U-turn. Instead, that new outside investment needs to be signed, sealed and delivered as soon as possible.
READ NEXT:
