They will hope it ends with a silver lining. But already Liverpool under-18s have good reason to feel satisfied with their season.
The young Reds ended their U18 Premier League North campaign on Tuesday with a 3-0 win over Derby County that cemented their third-place finish behind Manchester rivals United and City.
With fewer competitive fixtures due to the pandemic - the UEFA Youth League was cancelled and there was no U18 Premier League Cup - and ongoing coronavirus restrictions, it has been a uniquely testing season for the Academy staff and players.
Nevertheless, there have been a number of breakout stars including summer signing Mateusz Musialowski, midfield powerhouse James Balagizi, diminutive forward Max Woltman, left-back James Norris and February arrival Kaide Gordon.
The attack has been the strong point of an entertaining team that scored 75 goals in 24 league games - an average of more than three a match.
And U18s boss Marc Bridge-Wilkinson says of that strike-rate: "It is ridiculous, but I have to be honest and say I'm disappointed we haven't scored more often!
"Some of the chances we have had in games have been breathtaking at times. But you can't complain at those numbers.
"We have performed well. We set out to play an attacking brand of football in which we were aggressive in the way we went forward.
"I'd like to say that people can see that's how we have ended up playing, a brand of football that is exciting for the boys to play in but also for people to watch.
"My job is to make sure we are better - now we know what to beat next year!
"But we have a couple of games to play, the Youth Cup against Ipswich and some nice friendlies lined up too."
That FA Youth Cup semi-final at Portman Road will take place on Wednesday at 6pm, with a potential final at either Aston Villa or West Bromwich Albion having to be played by the end of the month.
While results are important, helping progress youngsters and prepare them for senior football remains the primary aim.
On Tuesday, there was a glimpse of names that could soon become more recognisable to Academy observers with Bridge-Wilkinson having fielded a young starting line-up that included several schoolboys.
"We tweaked the team a little bit and brought some of the younger boys in, and it was a great experience for them and they've done really well," he adds.
"We have lots of talented players and lots of players with lots of potential, not just in the groups I'm able to use but in the groups below as well.
"It's nice when we can showcase some of the boys that perhaps people don't know and show people the next group.
"I'm lucky, I worked with many of these lads last year at the 15s and 16s. There was the U16s group with James Balagizi and Luke Chambers in, and then there was a younger group with the likes of Tommy Pilling and James McConnell.
"I know the lads really well and it's not a surprise to me what they can do."
