LRonaldo in 2007-08 was just unfair. Thirty-one Premier League goals, forty-two total, Champions League, first Ballon d'Or.
MThat United team was a machine, but he was the engine. Nobody else looked close.
LFooty Matters posted the numbers and said people still argue Messi versus Ronaldo, but nobody talks enough about that season.
MThey don't, because it breaks the debate. That version of Ronaldo was a winger who scored like a striker.
LAnd he did it in England, in the rain, against defenders who kicked lumps out of him.
MMessi had the better career, but that single season? Ronaldo's peak was as high as anyone's.
LHere's the stat that'll start a fight: Ronaldo won three Champions Leagues in a row with Real Madrid, and he was part of Manchester United's Premier League three-peat from 2006-07 through 2008-09.
MWait, three Champions Leagues in a row? That was Real Madrid, not United.
LRight, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18. The Premier League three-peat was 2006-07 through 2008-09.
MOkay, so he did both, just at different clubs. Still, nobody else has done either, let alone both.
LAnd the post throws a jab: Messi hasn't reached a Champions League semi-final in recent years since leaving Barcelona.
MThat's the part that gets people screaming. Messi won a World Cup after leaving, but in Europe? Not much to show.
LIt's a fair point, but it's also a team stat. Messi at PSG had a broken midfield behind him.
MCome on, he had Mbappe and Neymar. You can't blame the midfield for no semi-final.
LI'm not blaming anyone, I'm saying one player doesn't drag a team to a Champions League semi alone.
MRonaldo did it at Madrid. He was a big reason they won three straight.
LHe had Modric, Kroos, Casemiro. That's not alone.
MFine, but the stat is the stat. Messi's European record after Barcelona is thin, and that's okay to say.
LIt's okay to say, but it's also a cheap shot. Different leagues, different teams, different ages.
MSpeaking of cheap shots, Alan Shearer is out here saying Pochettino lacks the pedigree to win titles.
LShearer said that? The guy won Ligue 1 with PSG.
MChris Sweetman posted the quote, and it's Shearer's exact words.
LHe won the league with Paris. That's a title. What are we doing here?
MWinning Ligue 1 with PSG is like winning a race against a parked car.
LOh, come on. A title is a title. You can't just erase it because it was easy.
MI'm not erasing it, I'm saying it doesn't prove he can win the Premier League or the Champions League.
LHe took Tottenham to a Champions League final. That's pedigree.
MAnd lost. Pedigree is winning the final, not reaching it.
LSo by your logic, only managers who've won the Champions League have pedigree. That's a short list.
MFor Manchester United, that's the list. They don't hire potential, they hire winners.
LAnd how's that working out for them lately?
MFair point. But Poch at United feels like another rebuild, not a title run.
LMaybe, but Shearer's take is too harsh. Poch is a good coach who's been one bounce away from a trophy.
MOne bounce away is still zero trophies in England. That's the point.
LAlright, we'll settle this when United actually hires him. Right now it's just rumors.
MAnd speaking of rumors, ESPN says United are monitoring Como's Nico Paz for a summer move.
LMonitoring. The most useless word in transfer news.
MIt means they've watched him on YouTube and maybe sent a scout. No deal, no offer, just monitoring.
LPaz is a real talent though. Young Argentine, creative, exactly what United's midfield lacks.
MBut if Poch isn't even confirmed as manager, why are we linking his first signing?
LBecause it's Saturday night and the transfer rumor mill never sleeps.
MTrue. And somewhere, a United fan is already photoshopping Paz into a red shirt.
LDifferent world entirely: Oklahoma's athletic director is ripping the SEC and Ole Miss for moving a game to Sunday.
MRoger Denny called the decision 'inexplicable.' That's strong language from an AD.
LThe game got moved, and now Oklahoma has to travel on short rest. Denny says the SEC didn't protect his team.
MOle Miss says they defended their travel efforts. Classic SEC scheduling fight.
LThis is the stuff that drives coaches crazy. You prepare all week, then the schedule changes and you're on a plane.
MAnd the SEC just shrugs. TV money wins, players and staff deal with it.
LDenny's right to be mad, but it won't change anything. The TV contract is the boss.
MMeanwhile, Indiana just got their best win of the season, and the backup quarterback was the story.
LGrant Wilson filled in and Indiana beat USC. That's a huge resume win for the playoff committee.
MNumber nine Indiana, and they did it with a fill-in quarterback. That's depth, that's coaching.
LUSC is a mess, but a win over a brand-name program still matters in that room.
MAnd Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith broke the Big Ten career receiving yards record. In a win over Northwestern.
LThat kid is a cheat code. He's making a Heisman case as a receiver, which almost never happens.
MReceivers don't win the Heisman. But if anyone's going to break that, it's Smith.
LHe's the best player on the best team, and now he owns a conference record. That's a statement.
MBig Ten receiving yards, all-time. And he's still got games left to add to it.
LThat's the scary part. This record could stand for a long time.