The Norwegian experienced a difficult start to his time in Glasgow, with Celtic knocked out of the Champions League and stuttering at the outset of their Premiership title defence.
The road was a difficult one from the outset.
One European diplomat said Tillerson was in a difficult position from the outset because the Trump administration was hostile to Iran and brought in a team of generals who took a hard line, "so it never left Tillerson much room".
It was a difficult situation, one to inflame tensions at the outset of Northern Ireland's make-or-break week, amid fears of widespread violence and the biggest security operation in Belfast since the IRA called its second ceasefire two years ago.
He's in a difficult position personally, being lukewarm about the EU from the outset, and now finding himself having to either fight half-heartedly for the least bad deal, or acquiesce to the agenda of his enemies.
If you're seriously considering marrying this person let me tell you, at the outset, it's important that you two can have a difficult conversation when necessary.
From the outset of civil war across the border, Syria's Kurds have pursued a difficult balancing act.
But Israel could find itself in a difficult position if it is perceived to be trying to torpedo any deal from the outset.
The management of a newborn or newly presenting adolescent with a disorder of sex development (DSD) can be a difficult challenge for health-care professionals and one which requires a holistic approach from the outset.
From a promising outset, this then starts to drag badly.
After a promising outset, this film starts to drag badly.
