We are 7 games into this new 'League Phase' format, and I still hate it. We have teams like Chelsea and Bayern sitting comfortably, but the 'drama' of the final day is diluted because 24 teams go through. There is no jeopardy. Liverpool winning is great, but does it matter if they finish 1st or 4th? We need the groups back. This massive table is just a way for UEFA to sell more meaningless games

Barcelona winning 4-2 against Slavia Prague is being celebrated, but it should be a wake-up call. You cannot concede two goals to a Czech side and expect to survive the knockouts. Lewandowski had to bail them out (again) after scoring a bizarre own goal. The defense is paper-thin. When they face a team with actual transition speed like Bayern or Arsenal, this high line is going to get exposed. They are 'entertaining,' not 'serious contenders

Can we finally admit that Arne Slot has improved Liverpool? 13 games unbeaten in all competitions and they just dismantled Marseille 3-0 away like it was a training session. Klopp was heavy metal, but Slot is a surgeon. The control they have in games now is scary. They are the only team in Europe that looks like they can beat Real Madrid over two legs. If they don't win the Champions League this year, it’s a failure.

We need to talk about Fermin Lopez. While everyone focuses on Lamine Yamal, Fermin has quietly become the most clutch midfielder in Europe. Two goals last night when the team was drowning?. He isn't just a 'squad player' anymore; he is the engine. His energy presses teams into mistakes and his finishing is elite for a midfielder. If Pedri is the brain, Fermin is the heart. He just saved Barcelona's European campaign.

Barcelona fans celebrating this win need to look at the stats. You conceded 2 goals to Slavia Prague and looked terrified on every set piece. That is now 13 goals conceded in the Champions League this season—the worst record of any top team. If they defend like this against City or Bayern in the knockouts, they will get destroyed 5-0. You can't outscore your defensive problems forever. Koundé and Araujo looked lost.

Robert Lewandowski scoring an own goal with his back and then scoring a winner at the other end is the perfect summary of Barcelona's season: Chaos, panic, but pure quality in the end. Slavia Prague put up a hell of a fight in freezing -8°C weather, but Fermin Lopez’s brace saved Hansi Flick from a disaster. It wasn't pretty, but winning ugly in January is how you win titles. Plus, Dani Olmo's curler was world-class.

Indiana winning the Natty proves that the 12-team playoff and the Transfer Portal have saved College Football. Five years ago, Alabama or Georgia would have just crushed everyone. Now? A team can rebuild in one season with the right portal adds (Mendoza) and a good coach. Parity is finally here. If Indiana can go 16-0, your trash team has no excuse anymore. The sport is wide open.

Let’s not pretend Indiana dominated; Miami choked. You are playing the National Championship in your own backyard (Hard Rock Stadium), you have the lead in the 4th quarter, and you throw a pick with 44 seconds left?. Mario Cristobal managed the clock like a rookie. The Hurricanes had superior talent at every position but got out-coached by a guy who was at James Madison two years ago. This loss is going to haunt Miami for decades. 'The U' is back... to choking.

Indiana—yes, Indiana—is the National Champion. This is the greatest story in the history of college sports. A program with 715 losses, a 'basketball school' that was the laughingstock of the Big Ten, just went 16-0 and beat Miami in Miami. Curt Cignetti deserves a statue built tomorrow. Fernando Mendoza winning the Heisman and then dunking on his hometown team that didn't offer him a scholarship is straight out of a movie. The 'Blue Blood' era is dead. Anything is possible.

This is actually a blessing in disguise for Manchester United or Liverpool. Alonso is now a free agent with a point to prove. His style is perfect for the Premier League. Madrid's loss is going to be England's gain. Imagine him taking over at Old Trafford and actually fixing that midfield. He won't be unemployed for long.

Unpopular opinion: Xabi Alonso was exposed. His Leverkusen 'invincibles' run was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment that he couldn't replicate when the pressure was real. At Madrid, he looked rigid. He tried to force his system on players like Mbappe and Vinicius who need freedom, and it backfired. He refused to adapt. He needs to go to a mid-tier Premier League club to actually learn his trade before trying a top job again.

Real Madrid is officially a circus. Sacking Xabi Alonso after 7 months is absolute madness. He had the best win percentage of any manager in the last decade, but one loss to Barcelona and Perez pulls the trigger?. This club has no patience for a 'project.' They chewed up a club legend just because he didn't win a treble in his first 6 months. It proves that no manager is safe there, not even a fan favorite. I hope he goes back to Germany where they actually respect tactics.

The writing was on the wall after the Boxing Day defeat, but the timing is terrible. The real issue now is: who is actually available? Unless we can convince a proven winner to take this poisoned chalice, we are just going to hire another 'project' manager like McKenna or Frank (again). The squad is talented but unbalanced. We need a pragmatist who can fix the defense, not another philosopher obsessed with possession stats. If we don't get the next appointment right, we are looking at a mid-table finish for the next 3 years. Grim times ahead.

This is a massive mistake. Here we go again—another manager gone, another massive payout, another 'rebuild.' Maresca wasn't the problem; the ownership is. You cannot give a manager a squad of inconsistent 21-year-olds and expect them to win the Premier League in 18 months. We were actually showing signs of a tactical identity for the first time since Tuchel! Now we bring in someone new who will want 5 new signings, and we start from zero. Boehly and Eghbali are treating this club like a circus. We are becoming the new Manchester United