Liverpool fans knew that April was going to be the month that would stretch them logistically. After all, they are already having to travel down to Wembley and back next week without the aid of Easter weekend trains.
But they probably didn't expect there to be nearly as many issues getting to Lisbon this week for their Champions League quarter-final first leg with Benfica. Staff shortages at Manchester airport made the journey to Portugal a treacherous one for hundreds of Reds fans, with flights delayed for hours across both Sunday and Monday.
Delays of up to three, four and five hours before Wednesday made it a difficult trip for so many and they were only confronted with more problems when they eventually got to the Estadio da Luz on the day of the game.
Scores of supporters were made to enter the ground in single file during rigours and aggressive searches carried out by Portuguese police on the night. Several have spoken of their feeling of unease outside the stadium when confronted with a force who appeared to be expecting anger and even violence from a fanbase who just wanted to get inside the stadium.
I know it's left many feeling that European away trips may no longer be worth the hassle and cost going forward, which is a crying shame for a fanbase who have been raised on tales of continental conquests.
Those caught up in the chaos estimated the numbers to be at over 1000, although club sources on the ground that night believe it to be closer to around 400. Either way, it was not how it was supposed to be after the 3,000 or so supporters who had made the journey over had enjoyed an otherwise perfect couple of days in the capital. Some did not get into the match until around 15 minutes after the game had kicked off.
Whatever way you look at it, that just simply isn't good enough when fans are being asked to fork over hundreds of pounds this month alone for the privilege of watching this Liverpool team in action.
Hopefully there is to be no repeat if Jurgen Klopp's side make it to the semi-finals against either Villarreal or Bayern Munich next month. Now they just have to negotiate this 400-mile round trip to Wembley and back next week without any trains to help...
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On the pitch, it was another good few days for the Reds who have secured back-to-back wins against Watford and Benfica since the end of the international break. It means Sunday's showdown with Manchester City will be one of the most eagerly anticipated Premier League games in years.
I'll be at the Etihad providing all the coverage of what is an absolutely massive game of football, so keep your eyes peeled to the ECHO's LFC pages for all of that on Sunday.
And finally, I just want to tip my hat to Liverpool Women who confirmed their return to the WSL last week. Everyone within the setup was incredibly disappointed with the manner of their demotion after the 2019/20 season was curtailed to COVID, so I am delighted they are back where they belong. Good luck to them next season.
Let's hope next week's newsletter is full of joyous fallout from a big victory at the Etihad. Enjoy it if you can, Reds.
