They say the table never lies but in Liverpool's case in 2020-21, it certainly clouds the bigger picture.
And perhaps nothing summed that up more than Gary Neville's staggered reaction to Liverpool's third-place finish in the Premier League once the curtain fell over the most recent campaign.
Liverpool's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, combined with Chelsea and Leicester's respective defeats to Aston Villa and Tottenham, saw Jurgen Klopp's men safely cemented into the top four.
Neville had been at Manchester City's 5-0 win over Everton on Sunday and after the Premier League title celebrations had eased, he couldn't hide his shock when he assessed the final standings with Sky Sports.