As Tottenham Hotspur earned a corner in stoppage time while searching for a rare victory, it was impossible to avoid the sight of so many Liverpool supporters streaming for the nearest Anfield exit.
Those who remained voiced their frustrations after the final whistle of this 1-1 draw, further hammering home the message that what they are witnessing simply isn't good enough.
A draw on a weekend when Chelsea and Aston Villa both lost means Arne Slot's side do actually move up to fifth and into that all-important final Champions League qualification spot in the Premier League.
But that, clearly, isn't enough to pull the wool over the eyes of many match-going fans who are starting to vote with their feet and, judging by the sound of the boos at full time, their voices too. It's not the first time they have been audible at the final whistle either lately.
Richarlison's 90th-minute equaliser means Liverpool conceded another deeply damaging late goal and their inability to manage games in the closing stages is maybe the biggest problem of the myriad of issues Slot and his players have been made to work through on the pitch.
Add Spurs to the list that includes Wolves, Manchester City, Fulham, Leeds, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Crystal Palace for goals shipped after 90 minutes. Eight, unsurprisingly, is new record for the club across the course of a season. The 'game-management' has been horrendous.
And how galling it should be for the Premier League champions to become the first side not to beat Igor Tudor's Tottenham, a tragicomedy team who are perilously close to playing Championship football in August themselves.
Somehow Spurs find themselves scrapping to stay afloat in the top flight after a torrid term and they came into this game following the debacle at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, which led to legitimate and widespread calls for Tudor to be immediately removed from what is only a temporary post.
But outside of another Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick, Liverpool failed to break down a side who had conceded 21 goals to their hosts in the previous six games. That list includes the match from 11 months ago, when a 5-1 win at Anfield preceded some of the greatest scenes ever witnessed at this famous old venue as the title was confirmed in front of 60,000 fans.
That feels a like a lifetime ago now for everyone concerned but the flickering of those joyous memories has maybe kept Slot's job safe from serious, internal scrutiny this long.
Liverpool insiders have always insisted their head coach is the right man to lead this team forward after a chastening season, much of which has been beyond the control of those in the technical area.
But when results suffer and performances become this chronically ordinary, it opens the door to genuine questions that cannot be dismissed as knee-jerk reactions or the immediate outbursts of a reactive social media.
The football has become too pedestrian and too ponderous for too long. Those disgruntled by what has been served up are within their rights to expect more from a squad that had £450m spent on it after winning the title by 10 points last time out.
Slot will of course counter that a lot of quality left during the summer months but the decision to plunder £320m into just three deals - for Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike - means the squad has looked so short and unbalanced after a handful of injury issues. The head coach shouldn't be solely blamed for that squad planning at least.
Slot rested Ekitike, Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Milos Kerkez for this, keeping one eye on Wednesday's Champions League clash with Galatasaray.
That meant a first Premier League start for Rio Ngumoha, who once more showed flashes of his burgeoning talent but few others grasped their opportunities. An injury-ravaged Spurs side were rarely put under the sort of duress they have come to expect at Anfield and chances were at a premium.
"I feel flat," Szoboszlai admitted after the game. "We have to wake up because if we carry on like this, we should be happy with the Conference League [next season]. I don't know why this is happening, I honestly don't know."
The mere mention of the UEFA Conference League should send a shiver down the spine of owners Fenway Sports Group given the club's reliance on the Champions League bounty. But the team are unable to rise above this dogfight they find themselves in and their European fate remains in the balance as the March international break approaches.
Szoboszlai's latest sublime effort opened the scoring but the decision-making and execution of the final passes or shots continued to suffer as the game wore on. That meant the visitors - who had lost all four previous games under the combative, cantankerous Tudor - sensed a way back into things.
And it just had to be Richarlison, didn't it? The player who gets under the skin of Reds fans like few others snatched a late leveller that will feel like a Liverpool defeat. It certainly did for those shuffling towards the exits at least.
Liverpool FC and adidas have unveiled a retro Bringback collection inspired by the club's 1995/96 away kit.
