Jurgen Klopp doffed his cap respectfully to Claudio Ranieri and their pre-match embrace said 'welcome back' but the five-goal demolition left the 69-year-old Italian exposed to easy punchlines.
Dilly ding, dilly dong, you say? Alarm bells already for Ranieri? Sacked in the morning? Time for another change, perhaps, at the club where the manager's revolving door spins like no other.
'Defeat is always difficult,' said the Italian as he lamented a 'very nervous' start and the inability of his Watford team to 'face-to-face' with Liverpool from outset. 'Some of the goals were presents,' he added ruefully.