At any level of football, regardless of the circumstances, a 7-0 defeat is certainly not acceptable.
That is the margin of defeat that Arsenal U21s suffered away to Liverpool yesterday in what was their heaviest loss in the Premier League 2 era.
There will be much focus on whether the U21s will be able to deliver an improved display when they host Burnley next week.
It is anticipated that Arsenal will have a stronger squad available for that fixture, which should also lead to greater cohesion in the team.
Yesterday, for instance, Arsenal started two U16 midfielders in Mishel Nduka and Emerson Nwaneri, while some other players were deployed out of position.
It was rather concerning, though, that the four defenders who started the game are full-time members of the U21 squad.
Arsenal’s strongest U21 side, which includes the likes of Marli Salmon, Ife Ibrahim, Max Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annous, should be able to compete against most teams.
The frustration lies in the fact that most of the club’s best prospects at U21 level are those who are still eligible to play for younger age groups.
The core U21 squad is extremely small – it currently only consists of 14 players, including two goalkeepers who only seem to play in an emergency, Maldini Kacurri who could depart before the transfer window closes and Cam’ron Ismail, who has yet to play for Arsenal this season.
Arsenal U21s are lacking depth in key areas, especially in midfield following the loan departures of Louie Copley and Harrison Dudziak.
Such moves were necessary for those players but there doesn’t seem to have been any planning with regards to how to fill gaps in the squad.
There also remain concerns about the coaches at U21 level and whether they are capable of getting the best out of players.
It is anticipated that the U21 squad will be stronger next season when some players step up from the U18s on a full-time basis, but there could be some difficulties until then, especially when players are out injured or have other commitments.