There were plenty of reasons for Jurgen Klopp to grow frustrated during the course of a uniquely testing season.
But the Liverpool boss always knew preparations would be less than ideal.
From the short pre-season break, the condensed campaign and the failure of the Premier League to sanction additional substitutions - and how right Klopp was over the build-up of injuries - issues began to manifest before a ball had even been kicked.
And then there was the problem with the transfer market. Or, more pertinently, Liverpool completing their primary business far nearer to deadline day than Klopp would ideally have preferred.
Sure, Kostas Tsimikas was brought in early to provide much-needed backup for Andy Robertson, the cost of his arrival offset by the departure of Dejan Lovren.
But the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic meant there was little other option for Liverpool other than to bide their time in the hope of capturing their chief targets.
Ultimately, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota arrived after the season had started. And the the issues of the former in particular demonstrated why acclimatisation - particularly when joining a Klopp team - is not always straightforward.
That's why the Reds boss will be particularly delighted the move for Ibrahima Konate has been done and dusted long before the summer transfer window officially opens on July 1.
Having tracked the RB Leipzig centre-back for some time - he was always top of a five-strong shortlist for the position - qualification for the Champions League has made it easier to press ahead with triggering his £36million release clause and finalising the deal.
In that sense, it was similar to the Fabinho transfer in May 2018, agreed mere days after the season had been completed.
However, the subsequent travails of the Brazilian underlined even pre-season may not be enough to ensure a player can hit the ground running.
And that is what made Klopp's comments following Konate's confirmation somewhat revealing.
“I am confident we are signing a player who can play for us right away, but he is a boy of 22 years of age who has room to improve because of his massive potential," said the Reds boss.
Ideally, Konate won't be thrown in at the deep end, with Klopp no doubt hopeful one or more of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip can join Nat Phillips, Rhys Williams or Ben Davies in being available for the start of the season.
And with the Frenchman eligible to be called up by his country for the Olympics - which will take place between July 22 and August 7 - there is a possibility he may miss a significant chunk of the pre-season programme.
Klopp, though, will hope Konate sets the template for Liverpool's transfer business this summer, with any major new signings available to link up with their new team-mates when training resumes on July 12.
With Euro 2020 and the Copa America running concurrently throughout June and July, it won't be without obstacles. The Olympics, too, could cause a potential issue.
What business Liverpool pursue will depend on their success in shipping out fringe players such as Marko Grujic, Divock Origi and Harry Wilson, and determining the futures of Xherdan Shaqiri and Takumi Minamino.
The likely departure of a number of key attacking personnel means, even allowing for Harvey Elliott being included in the first-team fold after an impressive loan at Blackburn Rovers, recruiting a forward seems likely.
And while not as pressing a concern, Liverpool will continue to monitor any potential moves for a midfielder following the departure of Gini Wijnaldum.
What's certain, though, is Klopp wants fresh faces sooner rather than later. Konate is the latest proof of that.
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