Unai Emery, the manager who has taken a team from a town with a smaller population than Clacton-on-Sea to the pinnacle of European football, should have been proud of guiding unfancied Villarreal to the semi-finals.
The Yellow Submarine's run to the last four of the premier competition has been the subject of a lot of criticism.
Max Allegri was unhappy with what he perceived to be a defensive approach by the Spaniards, despite the fact that they had the majority of possession in the first leg. They scored three times in 45 minutes.
In the quarter-finals, the manager of FC Barcelona criticized Emery's tactics. In the first leg, the La Liga side missed a number of chances that could have made a difference.
They will attempt to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the second leg of the semi-final against the Reds.
One UK radio pundit described the team aspathetic and a disgrace to the league.
That view was rejected by everyone from both sides, with the reality being that the budget of the two teams is six times that of each other.
Does Emery get the respect he deserves?
It should have been confirmed that Sevilla, Paris St-Germain and Villarreal won the last three editions of the Europa League, and that Manchester United beat them in the final to win their first major trophy.
The way he is perceived in England appears to have been affected by his unsuccessful spell at Arsenal.
His team had two chances to qualify for the playoffs, but failed. On the final day of the season, they were pipped to fourth place in the league by rivals Spurs, and then lost in the final of the Europa League. His first year in England had been a positive one and he was sacked within six months of those disappointments, but the margins were small.
His inability to speak perfect English was one of the main reasons for his failure, although he enjoyed greater success in his first season at the club than in the second. Had results been better, he would not have been dismissed with a seven-game winless run.
There were a number of reasons that things didn't work out at the club, one of which was the fact that young players such as Emile Smith Rowe, who have become focal points in the team, were too inexperienced back then and needed time to develop.
The club was in a transition period after more than 20 years of doing things in a particular way. They tried to change with a group of people who were not familiar with each other.
The life of the manager was always going to be difficult because of the lack of patience and the constant thorn in his side. When Mikel Arteta arrived, he found out that many of the players at the club were not as good as they thought they were. Expectations were higher than the quality of the squad.
Emery could not improve the dynamic when things went wrong. He left the club a few steps ahead of where he arrived.
Emery is viewed differently in Spain because of his methodical approach and tactical awareness.
He spent four days in the Sports City complex studying the entire side of the Reds before the game. He watched 15 of the Reds matches in their entirety.
It reminds me of the quote of Joaquin, who played for Emery at Valencia. He said that the coach put on so many videos that he ran out of popcorn. He is obsessed with football. He is one of the best managers I have had. I worked with him for three years. I could not handle a fourth.
Emery's game plans inevitably involve looking at a check list of everything you want to achieve from a match.
He knew that if he tried to go toe-to-toe with the Reds he would be embarrassed.
He doesn't need anyone to tell him that the team needed to attack better, retain the ball for longer periods, avoid making mistakes in their build-up play, and be mentally strong when in possession.
He was able to prevent them from opening them up with set-pieces. His side was lacking everywhere else. None of those boxes were present at Anfield and that, coupled with the fact that they were able to press with intensity for the whole game, was why they became defensive. They had no other choice but to play this way. They weren't allowed to do anything else.
Despite their superiority, they only scored two goals in the game, and that's why Allegri and Nagelsmann made the mistake they did. We could see a different Villarreal on Tuesday, with the return of Gerard Moreno.
In the past year, victories over Manchester United, Barcelona, and Torino should serve as a warning for the Reds.
It would be Emery's finest moment if his side produced something spectacular on Tuesday. It would show why other European clubs might consider him a viable option.
There are no plans to move one of the major players in La Liga to take over as Spain coach when Luis Enrique's contract runs out after the World Cup.
He feels at home in Villarreal because he is enjoying the rekindling of a relationship with his son. Emery missed out on his formative years because of divorce, but now he is closer to his son than ever before.
Fernando Roig is a person who made his fortune by creating a culture based on hard work, process and progress.
The environment created by the club vice-president and the manager is one which is not about him as a personality but about making players better and the team more competitive.
The club's fans were not there to make up the numbers, but a club that could compete and win at the very top level.
The progress has satisfied Emery, which means the league is not on his mind at the moment. He thinks he still has a lot to accomplish. He was the first choice for the job at the time, but he didn't want to leave behind all that he is building now.
The English top flight is unfinished business for him, and he wants to test himself in Italy too.
His style and personality would not be seen as a match for either Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Emery is happy where he is.
Right now, that is almost certainly in self-imposed exile at the club's Sports City complex, trying to discover a way of causing a major shock when the Reds visit on Tuesday.
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