It would be an understatement to suggest that this most strange, fractured of seasons has been met with similar enthusiasm of more regular campaigns.
For players, managers and supporters alike, the disruption caused by plonking the World Cup slap bang in the middle of the season has long been accepted as an unwelcome intrusion, self-inflicted by the sport compared to the unprecedented, turbulent recent years caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Liverpool have perhaps suffered more than most - in the Premier League at least - with the truncated summer break and shortened pre-season contributing to the physical and mental fatigue that has compromised their efforts.
