Alexander Isak's return to St James' Park on Sunday will not be that. The Newcastle supporters will make their feelings known. That is beyond his control.
Isak's job is to focus on winning over those fans in Liverpool red. This classic Premier League opener comes one year on from the incendiary statement by the Swedish striker that his relationship with Newcastle "cannot continue" due to broken promises and trust. And one year on, his Liverpool career has not yet ignited.
Isak was absent from this meeting last season, although his spectre loomed over it. Some might say the real Isak is yet to reappear. Three Premier League goals for Liverpool last season barely hinted at the reasons why they committed to paying £130m for him.
Without a proper pre-season, he arrived at Anfield not fully fit and that hampered his ability to make a fast start. A fractured fibula in December denied him the chance to find the sort of rhythm that strikers rely on. But there is a reason why the fee was so high.
The acrimony awaiting Isak reflects the sense of betrayal felt by those in the Gallowgate End and beyond, but it also speaks to his record. In his final two seasons at Newcastle, only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah scored more goals in the Premier League. He was the man who scored what turned out to be winner - against Liverpool of all teams - to end the club's 56-year trophy wait.
Elegant and willowy, he does not have the frame of a typical terrace idol, but his cool and clinical finishing from all angles made him a favourite. There is little point relitigating last summer but what is clear is that Isak's first year in a Liverpool shirt was largely wasted. Their fans have not seen nearly enough of those first-time finishes, the man who glides across the ground, always seeming to have time.
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