That’s a very disingenuous way to describe what actually happened.
The Ajax win got us to the biggest match this club has ever had in my lifetime. So how did that ultimately mean fuck all?
I really don’t care about joint 3rd all time UEFA trophy. Your equating a CL trophy to a Europa trophy and it’s clearly not.
We won a Europa trophy last season because the top 30ish teams in Europe were too good to qualify for the competition we were in. It was a nice accomplishment but nowhere near a peak moment for this club.
Sonny finally getting a deserved medal and getting the no trophy monkey off our backs were certainly positives though.
Some of you think everything is about trophy or no trophy and can’t bring any context into it. It’s such a simple way to think. Then I challenge by saying “if we win the conference league, would it be bigger than a CL final” and no one ever answers because it’s absolutely ridiculous to think so.
I've mentioned this disingenuous line of thinking when it has come to retrospectively pretending like the last 25 years have been a waste. There have been some amazing moments since the turn of the century that all look, no doubt, uninspiring in the rear view mirror (or to a younger fan).
Finishing in the top 6 was amazing, I got a tattoo the day we beat that era of Chelsea in a cup final, back-to-back league cup finals (end in disappointment, but still..) the football and squad under Redknapp, getting top 4 and CL for the first time. Signing Van der Vaart. The emerging Harry Kane. Pochettino era and finishing top 3 twice and 2nd in the league. Getting to a Champions League final.
Winning the UEFA cup/Europa is a monkey off our back and a credit to the club/team for getting over the line for once... but as a fan, I just feel like losing every week for what felt like forever didn't make the final feel better, because we watched the same old shit limp dick football and won despite being awful. Maybe I'd have felt totally different about it if we had 2 minutes of good football out of 96 mins total and scored a last minute winner, but I wouldn't really rank how I felt about it (which was still the most stressful hour of my life no doubt) above the sheer joy I've had from this team from 'lesser' accomplishments.
I don't think, deep down, that is different to other football fans. I reckon Everton fans have had more joy out of their last minute relegation beating moments than finishing 12th. It's just how it is.
I reckon there will be O.G. Man City fans who remember Nicky Weaver's penalty save more fondly than the last 10 cup wins