Pundit under the Spotlight – Adrian Durham – Talksport’s anti-Arsenal expert

ADRIAN DURHAM – TALKSPORT’S STAND OUT WINDBAG AND SUPPOSEDLY A PUNDIT FOOTBALL JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER: by ken1945

Born 13/5/1969 – Yes really!!! I thought it was 2009!!!

Educated at Dogsthorpe Peterborough – The school was demolished in 2007 – the rumour is that the Governors were ashamed of the link with “Ady Boy Durham!!”

So, let’s get on with analysing this “pundit” and look at the Guardian’s description of this pompous twit who does appear to hate all things Arsenal:

They see him as “An expert phone-in troll. Arrogantly spouting inflammatory football opinions, in the hope of prompting some indignant phone rage from an uppity fan.” (taken from Wikipedia)

What a perfect summing up in my opinion – remember this was the so-called expert, who didn’t name Dennis Bergkamp in his top five Dutch players who have graced the premier league… surely that sums this fraud of a pundit up completely.

Another great description of Durham is the “radio rental presenter” and he has been shot down so many times the professional players when he thinks he knows more about football than them. Such as Ray Parlour, Cesc Fabregas, Martin Keown (regarding DB’s omission) Chris Sutton, Jamie Carragher and Neil Lennon, to name a few.

He also said that The Arsenal “stole” Cesc from Barcelona!!! Think about that one statement from someone who is hired as a pundit!!! He then pronounced that “Arsenal is a disgrace if they do not sell him back.” Can ANYONE take this twerp seriously?

Let’s delve a little more into another of his gaffes:

He was once confronted by David Weatherston, regarding a Scottish team that Dipsy Durham had produced. It included Andy Robertson (the Liverpool and Scottish captain) for his time at Dundee United. When Weatherston pointed out that Robertson had made only 36 appearances for DU before transferring to Hull City, this was how our erstwhile pundit replied:

DURHAM “Are you saying he was bad for Dundee United? You didn’t even watch him, did you? Had no idea who he was…Pathetic!!

WEATHERSTON “Hahaha. Played against him, came through the QP system before him, known him since he was a 17-year-old kid. YOU SIR ARE AN IDIOT.”

Spot on David, spot on.

Now remember, this is supposed to be a “pundit”, yet cannot get even simple things like a player’s history correct!!! It was him who was pathetic and completely humiliated by someone who knew what they were talking about.

I loved the idea of a sports station and was an avid listener to this station for many years, phoning in and giving my opinions on all things sporting – it was a breath of fresh air. But since the introduction of presenters such as Durham in 1999, I have slowly but surely gone back to Five Live for my “footballing fix.”

When/If any of you still listen to the dribble from Durham, just check to see if he brings any REAL expert knowledge to the fans?

Everything he did, while I still listened to him, was purely to get reactions from the audience and I have not bothered with him in a long long time. For all I know, he might have become a half decent presenter, with cohesive and sensible views regarding football. If this is the case, please let me know and does he still do his daily Arsenal rant?

Somehow, however, I don’t think so, after reading on JA what he said about the statue being prepared for Arsene Wenger. Remember, this is supposed to be a “pundit” who gives us mere mortals expert opinions on all things football. Yet he says that, due to the Ozil situation, we should stop this tribute to one of our icons.

Let me explain to this “pundit” why his suggestion is so absurd:

The reason Arsene Wenger is being honoured is for The Invincibles, the three doubles, the seven FA cup wins, the twenty years of CL football, the twenty years of top four finishes, the ability to change football in this country forever, the only manager who challenged Fergie, prolonging the playing careers of the likes of Tony Adams with his training and dietary ideas, defeating the drinking culture at our club, being honoured both inside and outside the footballing world, helping to realise the Emirates dream and putting the name of The Arsenal into the world of football for the style of football his teams played.

These are just some of the reasons why, Mr Durham – so just keep peddling your drivel, but be aware that you are laughed at for the fraud pundit you really are – you are as irrelevant to our club as you are to every other teams and its fans you try to belittle.

In fact, you are irrelevant to anyone with an ounce of common sense and TalkS***e is the right place for you to be.

ken1945

70 Comments

  1. Although I agree with the premise of this article, Durham trash talks about Arsenal a lot, could it not just be tunnel vision?

    For example, we have some fans on here that did, and still do, see Wenger as some kind of messiah. Wenger did no wrong in their eyes, whereas reality tells a very different story of not even being competitive in the league for 14 years straight, and no trophy for 9 years straight. Tunnel vision again, or an agenda?

    1. The professor, the invincible, the Highbury Hero, the one and only, the great Arsene Wenger!

        1. The golden one, the revolutionary one, the wise one. The one and only, the great Arsene Wenger!

          1. Highbury Hero, I suggest you read up on the history of Arsenal FC. Despite what you may believe the Club was successful and world renowned before the arrival of Arsene Wenger. Not to diminish Wenger’s contribution, you may wish to start with Herbert Chapman in the 1930’s, his “W” formation, great players like Alex James and games such as the Battle of Highbury, where 7 Arsenal players took the field for England with another on the bench. You may also learn about Billy Wright, Cliff Baston, Ted Drake, Tommy Lawton, Bertie Mee, Don Howe, George Graham and a cavalcade of great players like Frank McLintock, Ray Simpson, Allan Ball and Liam Brady.

          2. Exactly ozziegunner, it’s part of our great history and we should always come together when someone like Durham tries to belittle it.

            It is a shame that we didn’t personally live through the Chapman era, along with those wonderful players…but let’s remember Chapman made mistakes as did Arsene Wenger.

            What I don’t get, is why fans are so ready to defend such great people in the clubs history, but seem to take great delight in talking about the negatives of, possibly, the greatest manager we will ever have?!?!?

            There is no doubt that,due to modern day technology, AW propelled this club onto the world stage in a much bigger way than HC could have ever done, but both men were such icons, that the decision to erect statues for both men is a no brainer.

            Let’s hope that in twenty years time, MA will also have that honour…I shall be watching from above or below, praying that this is the case, with Durham still trying to deny that our club is a “big club” – what a clown he really is.

          3. Mr Ozzie you are an old fan. You have seen what most of us haven’t. When I became a football and Arsenal fan as a young boy it was at the beginning of the great Arsene tenure. The Arsenal I grew up loving was Wenger’s Arsenal. For 19 years he was the only manager I knew. In my place up to this day he is still called Arsenal Wenger.

            You are correct that I have to read our history to appreciate others greats. And I will do so thank you for suggestion.

            Still however great they were to me personally they won’t have the same effect as the great Arsene because it was him who made me love Arsenal and I have experienced his success and his downfall.

            Something which you see with your own eyes and experiencing the emotions that comes with it have far more impact than something you didn’t see.

        1. Wenger was and will always be a icon he set records that to this day still stands just ask Jurgen Klopp and Pep but in his latter years he really let himself and the club down by refusing to step aside, so I for one can understand where fellow fans like Highbury hero comes from

    2. TMJW, I find your reply so sad and wonder what you get from supporting our club?

      As far as I can remember, not one Arsenal fan has ever described Arsene Wenger as a messiah, rather we have all acknowledged his faults as well as his achievements.

      Not being competitive for 14 years? Look at the way football changed in that time, the arrival of Abromavitch, the oil rich sheiks, the takeover by kronkie and his demands for the club, the appointment of gazidis…to which we are still seeing the damage wreaked today, with the raul, vinia and huss situation.

      No one has or will ever pretend that AW didn’t have his many faults and why wouldn’t he make mistakes?
      After all, he really wasn’t the messiah, a saint, or the second coming was he?
      He was a man who propelled our club forward, become respected the world over and it is people like Durham who, for whatever reason, tries to blacken that undeniable fact – just look around the Emirates and see the years of trophy wins highlighted as proof of this.

      Now, I take great pride in The Arsenal, for all its faults, its bad decisions and the, seemingly, endless trashing by the media and this so called “pundit” Adrian Durham, is a classic example of the need to denigrate individuals and the institution of The Arsenal Football Club.

      Surely, that is what all supporters of a club should do – recognize that we are not without criticism, but defend it, when ludicrous remarks, such as “stealing Fabregas” are made, or saying that the Ozil situation mean we should not honour a man who took our club to heights previously only dreamed about?
      Believe me, TMJW, when I first started supporting this club, they were only dreams…dreams that came true under Arsene Wenger…I want those supporters who didn’t live through those wonderful days, experience what I did then, not let others try and belittle what was achieved.

      I sincerely hope and wish that Mikel Arteta can become even more successful than any of our previous managers, simply because I support our club and all of its players 100%.
      The past is the past and the future is in great hands, I believe, so let’s start defending our club, not forever dragging up and agreeing with, even if not directly, a narrow minded windbag who tries to pull it down.

      1. Ken, in reply to your earlier post above this , I have NO DOUBT that when the time comes YOU will be watching from above!

      2. Don’t know why you reply to him Ken
        Once again it looks like he’s about to say something positive then actually backs Durham up by have another pop at Wenger .
        Negativity after negativity,mind you he’s not the only one on here .

        1. As per your IQ Dan kit, you fail yet again to actually read what I wrote. When exactly did I back Durham? Please feel free to even use my own quotes against me.

      3. Ken1945, tell me what manager at a top club survives 14 years straight of not winning a league title, or 9 years straight of not winning anything? Please enlighten me. Wenger was the luckiest manager EVER to survive that long. Fact!

        One can excuse the odd poor season: Maybe one or more teams were just too strong that season, maybe too many key injuries, maybe we missed out on key targets, and so on…One cannot excuse 14 years straight!

        Wenger had some great times at Arsenal, and some terrible times, and that is the honest truth.

        1. TMJW, klopp went four years without winning anything, fergie went four years also…and neither were involved in CL football for twenty years on the run or stayed in the top four, or won more fa cups than AW…they both could only improve on such a dismal start – AW has, of course, been judged on his first seven years…after which the work on the Emirates was officially started (February 2004).

          The fact that you want me to answer why AW “survived for so long” conveys to me, your complete misunderstanding on what was happening in the premier league from 2003, when Abramovitch bought out Chelsea…while we were in the midst of building a reported £390,000,000 stadium.
          Also in 2008, Sheik Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought out City and it wasn’t until 2014 that the austerity programme at The Arsenal was finally over, when the overall debt was finally cleared (Source: GIVEMESPORT)).

          Of course, the following two seasons after that we won the fa cup and finished 3rd and 2nd in the league – meanwhile city and chelsea had used their new found money, to buy incredible teams….although not one could boast of being Invincibles could they?

          I’m sorry that you cannot see the real truth behind those days you call the “barren years”, but let’s hope Arteta can at least deliver the CL, top four and a few fa cup wins, otherwise Durham will have a field day pulling the club we support apart once again.

          1. So you honestly think that CL football twenty years on the run, but never winning it, and only making one final (not to mention the countless humiliations), is far more impressive than a slightly more sporadic CL participation, but actually winning it, and more than once? That’s not even a sane thing to say!

            You mention our financial restraints, which eased up in 2014, so then why didn’t we win or challenge for the league in those next four years under Wenger then? Even Leicester managed to win it! What’s the new excuse for that then? And how exactly did financial restraints prohibit Wenger from coaching defending? We kept spending money on attacking players, were there no quality defensive players EVER available?

            Call me old fashioned, but “barren years” perfectly sums up all those long periods of not only not winning, but not even being competitive! I almost forgot, Wenger’s last 8 years in Europe were absolutely pathetic as well!

            And to finally put your ridiculous financial excuses to bed, look at what Liverpool have been doing compared to Arsenal. Both pretty much the same financially for a long time, and lets not forget Leicester winning the league shall we, or did I imagine that?

          2. Such venom TMJW, let me go through your “Durham like” rants one by one:

            Twenty years of CL football and not winning it is less impressive than a “slightly more sporadic one” – apart from RM, no other club has a better CL qualification record that our club, despite you claiming that we had no defence (come to that later) and led in the 2006 final against Barcelona for 87 minutes with ten men – such is your determination to run down our club and it’s manager, you forget simple basic facts.
            The humiliations? Here you go again, just concentrating on the negatives – of course we have had humiliations, hasn’t every club?
            Did you watch Barca get beat 8-2 in a one legged game by BM. What about Chelsea losing 7-1 against BM, or the spuds 7-2 defeat against the same club, it happens , just move on and support the club.
            Ignore the fact that we reached the knockout stages seventeen of the twenty times we appeared (without a defence mind you) and just spout negatives.
            It seems your eight last years in the CL don’t really hold out, when we were not only qualifying for the last sixteen, but with no defence or tactics!!

            Financial restraints: You didn’t even take a second to spot what I tried to show you, after 2014, we won the cup twice in a row, we finished 3rd, then second and still with no defence or defensive tactics it seems.
            Those stats, once the restraints had been lifted, showed we were improving…but of course you take no consideration as to the way Chelsea and City had changed the premier league, nor the influence of kronkie or gazidis – it’s all down to AW it seems.

            As for Leicester, instead of asking why we didn’t win it, why don’t you ask yourself why, with no defence, no tactics etc we still finished 2nd, above city, chelsea, united, liverpool and spuds, all of whom had years of not having to sell their top players while building a new stadium under the supervision of kronkie?
            Just for your information, Cech had the most clean sheets with 16 from the season that Leicester won, Chelsea finished 10th, Liverpool 8th, Utd 5th, city 4th, spuds 3rd, Ozil finished top with 19 assists and you question our defence?
            Well, only the spuds and united had a better GA than us…both by just ONE goal and we were equal with Leicester at 36…these are facts that, if you took the time to check out and digest, your never ending knocking about our defensive “frailties” would stop.

            Furthermore, in the long reign of AW, his average goals against over every single game he was manager, works out at less than one goal per game (Plyd 1235 – GA 1227 Source AFC 2018/19 handbook). So despite your emphasis on humiliations, no defence, no defensive tactics, the truth is you are talking a load of Durham BS – only Fergie has a better defensive record than AW and I would expect any Gooner to know that simple fact.

            Let’s, finally look at what Liverpool have been doing since the financial situation regarding The Emirates shall we?
            2003/4 Pl Ars. 1st pool 4th FA Cup Ars. Semi/F pool 5th Rd
            2004/5 Pl Ars 2nd pool 5th FA Cup Ars WINNERS pool 3rd Rd
            2005/6 Pl Ars 4th pool 3rd FA Cup Ars 4th round pool Won
            2006/7 Pl Ars 4th pool 3rd Fa Cup Ars 5th round pool 3rd Rd
            2007/8 Pl Ars 3rd pool 4th FA Cup Ars 5th round pool 5th Rd
            2008/9 PL Ars 4th pool 2nd FA Cup Ars Semi/F pool 4th Rd
            2009/10 Pl Ars 3rd pool 7th FA Cup Ars 4th Rd pool 4th Rd
            2010/11 Pl Ars 4th pool 6th FA Cup Ars 6th round pool 3rd Rd
            2011/12 Pl Ars 3rd pool 8th FA Cup Ars 5th round pool RU
            2012/13 Pl Ars 4th pool 7th FA Cup Ars 5th round pool 4th Rd
            2013/14 Pl Ars 4th pool 2nd FA Cup Ars WINNERS pool 5th Rd
            2014/15 Pl Ars 3rd pool 6th FA Cup Ars WINNERS pool Semi
            2015/16 Pl Ars 2nd pool 8th FA Cup Ars 6th round pool 4th Rd
            2016/17 Pl Ars 5th pool 4th FA Cup Ars WINNERS pool 4th Rd
            2017/18 Pl Ars 6th pool 4th FA Cup Ars 3rd round pool 4th Rd

            So, over the fifteen seasons, Arsenal have finished above pool on NINE occasions and have gone further in the cup on another NINE occasions, while on two occasions, we both went out in the same round.

            So before you start bandying “ridiculous” statements about, just work out what all the facts above, plus twenty years of CL football brought in to our club financially…how it was possibly achieved with no defence or defensive tactics and PLEASE try and do some homework on the subject, before trying to prove me wrong, when all I do is use facts and figures to back up my thoughts…now tell me that liverpool performed better on the field, or off it during the “barren years” you love to bring up at every opportunity, but fail to back it up with FACTS – a little like your view that we only beat Chelsea in the cup final of 2016/17 because they were out celebrating the PL the night before!!! Ludicrous? It sounds just like a Ady Durham statement to me!!!!

          3. As I’m sitting here waiting for a reply TMJW, it occurred to me that I had made an error, when saying it was you who had made the cup final quote – I apologize as it was not you but john0711.

            What you did say, however, was that Lichsteiner was a good buy, because he only cost us just over £4 million for a seasons salary and was an improvement on Bellerin – still another Durham esque quote of course, but I will always apologize when I say something incorrect.

        2. You don’t measure the great Arsene by a number of trophies won. He is a larger than life persona. He changed English football forever.

          The changes he introduced to English football is have become standard in worldwide football.

          He is universally respected figure. Honoured every corner. Standing ovation at Old Trafford? Recognition from Manchester United and the great Alex himself?

          You are talking about number of trophies while he achieved the impossible. The invincible season is still talked to this day. It has become a milestone to measure the great English teams. Even the overspending clubs with all the best talents in the world cannot achieve that feat. The great Alex himself with the army of supporters (referees, pundits, journalists, Premier League giving them favourable fixtures, dirty tactics etc) could not achieve that.

          With the great Arsene receiving respect, appreciation and praise from people outside Arsenal (even our fiercest rivals) it is truly sad to see he is not appreciated by our own (most of whom were attracted to the Arsenal he made)

          1. Remember this is a so called fan who will do absolutely anything to smear what Arsene done but at the same time will tell us that Emery was so unlucky that we missed out by one point to get 4 th place(would have got it if Ramsey didn’t get injured 😂) and finished runner up in EL cup(completely embarrassed by Chelsea ) ,so that was fine by him, but Arsene getting us 20 straight top 4th places and winning countless FAcups along the way was much worse .
            For someone who pretends he supports Arsenal I find shocking the negativity that comes out of his mouth ,big embarrassment to all Arsenal fans ,obviously that is my opinion ,I’m sure mr super IQ will tell us differently .

          2. Spot on HH, only someone with an agenda would see it otherwise and as Dan kit says below, we know exactly what agenda TMJW is using – discredit AW at every opportunity and with such regularity, he is sounding just like Durham himself.

            Remember, this was an article about a “pundit” who didn’t see Bergkamp as a top five Dutch import, who said we stole Fabregas from Barcelona and should give him back – yet the one and only person who turns it into a AW knocking session is our own doom and gloom merchant TMJW.

            As Sue says, further down the post, some people are never happy unless they are knocking the club and/or it’s players – he fits Sue’s description perfectly.

          3. Very interesting Ken1945. Given your response, you openly admit that you prefer consistent CL qualification to actually winning it, but with less appearances in said competition. Wow! Just wow! What next Ken, you’d prefer another decade of 4th every season, over winning the league a couple of times, whilst having a few seasons out of Europe? The crutch of your argument is that you prefer consistently over winning. Shocking mentality! I am sorry, but I prefer winning, than just taking part.

            So you think that it’s a wonderful achievement for a club the size of Arsenal to consistently qualify for the last 16 from mostly easy groups. Really? Remind what happened when the competition started getting serious then? If we’re going on facts, it was constant humiliation in those last 8 years of knockout rounds. You don’t agree though? Getting spanked every 1st leg wasn’t poor, or maybe losing 5-1 three times in a row to the same team was a decent effort?

            And please stop mentioning other teams as examples to try justify your ridiculous excuses. We’re talking about Arsenal, but using other teams doesn’t work in your favour anyway. Yes Barca and Chel have also suffered badly at the hands of Bayern, but didn’t Barc win the CL about three times during Wengers Arsenal stay? Chelsea also won the CL, and EL during Wenger’s time. So your examples don’t even work!

            And your Liverpool/Arsenal is hilarious! For some reason you forgotten to mention the League Cup and CL/EL, so let’s do a proper comparison shall we:

            From your start and end dates 03/04 – 17/18

            Arsenal
            Premier League – x1 winners, x2 runners up
            FA Cup – x4 winners
            League Cup – x3 runners up
            Community Shield – x4 winners, x2 runners up
            Champions League – x1 runners up
            Europa League – x1 semi-final

            Liverpool
            Premier League – x2 runners up
            FA Cup – x1 winners, x1 runners up
            League Cup – x1 winners, x2 runners up
            Community Shield – x1 winners
            Champions League – x1 winners, x2 runners up
            Europa League – x1 runners up
            Super Cup – x1 winners
            Club World Cup – x1 runners up

            As one can see, it’s very close with Arsenal slightly on top, but look at Liverpool’s success over the last 2 years as well, and how they are set for years to come, compared to the mess that Wenger left. I mention this because in walks of life, there are consequences to actions. Our problems didn’t suddenly disappear once Wenger had left. They were/still are, deep rooted, and cultural. Others at Arsenal have now got the responsibility of sorting out the mess, but make no mistake, Wenger was one of the major sources of our problems. Emery made mistakes, and couldn’t fix our problems, but remember that was what he inherited.

            You have this strange notion I only ever speak ill of Wenger, which isn’t true. I speak the facts. Brilliant first decade, very poor next 12 years.

          4. Hilarious we have fans that think scraping into fourth, god knows how many points off the top, but on a consistent basis, is actually better than winning! Wenger really did hoodwink his fanboys!

            I wonder if Fergie went 14 years straight without winning or even being competitive in the league, if he’d still have support from 100% of the fan base? I wonder if some may deem that long barren as unacceptable? Especially considering the success he had already delivered for the club.

        1. Siamois, I guess I am, but it would be really interesting to ask the fans and clubs of, say, Nottingham Forest, if they think winning the CL has helped their club stay in the Premier league with the money it brought into the club, or if they prefer to be where they are now?
          Interesting also, to see that the defence argument has gone away, along with the Leicester argument.
          To think that Cech kept the most clean sheets that season without a proper defence and/or strategy is amazing… it really does help when one checks out the facts….unlike Durham and a few others!!

          1. I’ve just read your post again TMJW and I really have to scratch my head in bewilderment.

            You say that, after checking all the positions, trophies etc etc “As one can see, it’s very close with Arsenal slightly on top”…then you say what a mess Arsene Wenger left the club in!!!

            Now, if that isn’t double dutch TMJW, I don’t know what is!!
            One minute your saying look how well liverpool have done compared to us, then you check your facts and say that we are slightly better than the club you heralded as the one we should have been compared to under Wenger, in order to see how we have been so badly run!!! LOL

            Then you say that the last two years since he left are down to his mis-management – eleven new players signed, over £200,000,00 spent.a new club transfer record set, flirting with relegation (never even talked about under AW), toxic fans and players – but nothing to do with gazidis, kronkie, Emery or the three musketeers.

            Maybe, if we had taken AW’s advice and employed MA instead of UE, the above wouldn’t have happened – still you live in your bubble of negativity and blame game, I’ll live in the bubble of a club going forward, brilliant array of younger players (some signed by AW), another fa cup under our belt and a statue to the greatest manager ever about to be unveiled, with his personally selected successor (ignored by kronkie and gazidis) about to take us back in to the CL again.

  2. Great summary and my thoughts exactly. Its the same form of “journalism” that AFTV use to spout negativity and get clicks. Unfortunately it seems there is a demand for such bullsh*t. Hope Arteta goes on to make slugs like ady boy eat their words.

    1. Romford Ray, you are very unfair on AFTV; they don’t always “spout negativity”, and are on the whole positive about Arsenal, unlike Durham.
      Living in Australia, my only encounters with Adrian Durham have been on YouTube. He is a typical “shock jock” raving about rubbish and displaying his ignorance to wind up his audience. On the other hand AFTV has some knowledgeable sensible correspondents.
      By the way, when in London I have stayed in Hornchurch.

  3. Talksport has improved no end since 2004 when I was forced to listen to wotsisname on Fisherman’s Blues and a load of blokey men talking only football when I first met my second husband.
    In more recent times we have Natalie Sawyer, Georgie Bingham plus more lady presentersand some decent pundits and analysis from former players and first rate presenters. The station has been transformed and has lots of live sports coverage to rival Auntie

    Adrian Durham behaves exactly in the way the former Talksport relied on him so heavily for . People phoning in about his inflammatory views paying fortunes to do so and increasing its revenue. I occasionally listen in after 4 and he is a sideshow compared to Jim White, Sam Matterface and co.

  4. Durham talks more about us than other clubs because we have such a massive online and social media presence. He knows that talking about us gets him mentioned on Facebook and Twitter and in blogs and on forums and in comments sections. We also punched above our weight for a long time which led to the near beatification of Arsene Wenger as a messianic figure – an easy target for him to poke and stir up anger. Let’s face it, we are generally SUCH an easy target – just have a go at Wenger or, even worse, the Invincibles and then Gooners are all over you like a badly fitting suit. Basically, though, it doesn’t change the fact that Durham is the Katie Hopkins of foootball journalism.

      1. Some people are only happy when they’re slating Arsenal 😄
        Pushing on from the cup win with a decent window, hopefully leading to a good start next campaign – maybe we won’t hear a great deal from him then haha!!
        I do agree though, we have been an easy target over the years!

        1. Sue, when people look back no one will worry that Arsenal finished behind Chelsea, Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspurs, but it will be in the records that Arsenal FC won the FA Cup 2019/20.🏆😄

  5. While I agree with pretty much everything about your piece, Wenger won 2 doubles. 1998 & 2002. The other one was 1971. Amend your piece with some haste before the clown sees it and comments.

    1. And in 1970/71 Arsenal under Bertie Mee won the Inter City Fairs Cup, First Division Title and FA Cup, captained by Frank McLintock, with one George “Stroller” Graham playing in midfield.
      George Graham went on to manage Arsenal to success. In 1990-91 Arsenal was one loss away from an “Invincible” season (P38, W24, D13, L1 Goals for74, Goals against 18 for a goal difference of +56 Points Total 83 in the days when there were 2 pts for a win and 1 pt for a draw (equivalent to 85pts today!)
      Graham won 2 titles, 1 FA Cups, 2 League Cup and 1 European Cup Winners Cup, 1 Charity Sheild and the Football League Centenary Trophy.
      My concern is that many of us have seen good times and lean, whereas younger fans have grown to expect success. Arsenal has had great periods, but so have many clubs. The top division, if not all divisions have always been competitive. You have to earn success.

      1. By the way Graham was third choice behind Terry Venables manager of Barcelona and Alex Ferguson manager of Aberdeen and Scotland.
        He managed Arsenal from 1986 until 1994, when he was sacked after admitting to accepting “an unsolicited gift” from a player agent.
        He went on to manage Spurs winning the League Cup with them.

        1. And when he left, we finished 12th in the league and got knocked out of the fa cup by Millwall 2-0 at home in a replay… I remember that season so well… Four years later, we won the double… I remember that season as well!!!

          1. Yes, ken, we did but all good things come to an end, and given Graham’s man management approach, it is understandable that the players tuned out. You would surely agree that that relatively young squad underperformed and at the time had a lot of promising young players, who Bruce Rioch and ultimately Arsene Wenger benefited from.
            Graham’s record during the period he managed Arsenal and the quality of players he nurtured (particularly their mental toughness) together with Bruce Rioch’s signing (the man who Durham said isn’t in the top 5 Dutch players to play in the EPL) benefited Wenger.
            My point is that it doesn’t deflect from Arsene Wenger’s achievements to acknowledge the achievements of others at Arsenal FC. This is particularly important for people like HH, who have followed Arsenal under Wenger. I want people to be educated and informed.

          2. Some most enjoyable duetting between you Ken and Ozzie Gunner, who is another who knows his onions. Lots of sensible and educative comments for younger fans from both of you.

            Considering the squad Graham had when Wrighty came in ’92, when we eventually finished second and while we were reigning champs, he should have done far better in his remaining years. No Kroenke nor Gazidis to hold HIM back, either.

          3. I think ozzieguneer, that both GG and AW made mistakkes in every area of their time as managers – but one thing that will never taint AW’s time, is the “unfortunate” incidents that caught GG with his hands in the till.

            I loved singing 1-0 to The Arsenal at the top of my voice and, you are so right, we were so very close to becoming Invincibles under his reign and they deserved it as well in my opiinion – but the football was nowhere near the style that AW’s side became recognized for.

            Also, do you think Arsene Wenger would have ever contemplated managing the spuds? Not in a million years…he was Arsenal through and through and I only hope he, one day, will realize that it was such a small minority of the Arsenal fan base that disrespected him.

            I hope Highbury Hero takes up your suggestion, as he seems a passionate Gooner, who lives and breathes the club – our history is fascinating and I wonder if he heard about the rumoured horse that was under the North Bank and how it, supposedly, got there?

      2. “in the days when there were 2 pts for a win and 1 pt for a draw (equivalent to 85pts today”

        I thought three points for a win was introduced in the 80’s. Even if you are right (which you are not in this case), your math does not add up as 2×24 +13 = 61.

        1. ahmad, thank you for the correction. It was late at night and my mathematical brain was half asleep.🍷
          My point is that George Graham’s Arsenal was one win away from an “Invincible” season and a goal difference of +56 is outstanding. They don’t get the recognition they deserve, nor do the Arsenal under Herbert Chapman in the 30’s, when Arsenal would have beaten most National Teams at that time.
          As I stated, I want younger supporters to use their search engines to be in informed. Certainly better than listening to shock jocks like Durham.

  6. Why waste an article on him. Just ignore or turn off as I did years ago. He’s just a wind up merchant. Although I have to admit I did used to find the Daily Arsenal hilarious.

  7. The guy seeks notoriety and he is getting what he seeks when someone writes about him. Clever that!

  8. What is the point of having an article about this man. He says things, some which he probably doesn’t agree with himself, just to get people to phone in which is his job. The more controversial it is the better his bosses like it. I gave up listening to this boring station ages ago.

    1. Exactly. He exists to provoke. There are a lot of them all over the media. They make a living solely off of being controversial and saying dumb things only idiots would believe.

  9. If you step back and think of this program Talksport, I think you will soon agree that it is lower than the Daily Sun but has the same targeted fan club of right wing morons. Durham is a nonentity and has one hell of a chip on his shoulders. I have been a Gunner for over 70 years now and have dealt with all types of banter from mates hwowere not fortunate to be Gunners, but this idiot is just an insult to journalism and to football in general.

  10. Gunnerpete, well said sir and may I congratulate you on your longevity?
    It makes me feel like a young whippet!!!!

    I wonder how many times we have passed each other at Highbury and The Emirates?

    What wonderful years, the up and the downs, we have witnessed…it really has been a lifetime of passion!!!

    Thanks for your input on the article, it was one of a few I have done on so called “pundits” – good old Kenethh Wolstenholme would turn in his grave at the pomposity and naevety of the likes of Durham in my opinion.

  11. My view on Durham is the same as almost all Gooners and Ken. I both appaud but also question Kens correct article. “Applaud” because it is profoundly true, as most on here thus far have acknowledged.

    But ” question” because all this article does is to play directly into the hands of this “little man” presenter. He is what is known as a shock jock and gets off on being an anti hero. That is his WHOLE AIM and a man of Kens intellect and life experience really ought to have known better than to play dirctly into Durhams cunning plan.

    What good has this article achieved, apart from the need to let off steam? I, of all people, understand THAT need better than most and have been more guilty than most in doing it many, many times on here, though not about Durham. I see no point in feeding a rapacious carnivore yet more red meat.

    I also understand and share the understandable frustration though with this so called presenter. BEST TO COMPLETELY IGNORE SELF PUBLICISTS WHO CRAVE PUBLICITY OF ANY KIND.

    1. jon, it has provided an opportunity to inform and educate.
      Next an article on Stuart Pearce, who said that Dennis Bergkamp was a waste of money, would not succeed in the EPL and would fop at the Arsenal. And they let this man manage England U21’s and Olympic football teams!

      1. OZZIE, You will be familiar with the proverb,”To err is human, to forgive divine”! Yes, I too think thats rubbish – or actually true but as mere humans we can forget that nonsense, UNTIL we get to the next life and find ourselves either entering or being denied entry to Heaven. It might be a tad more important then!

        A real human who has never criticised others has never led a meaningful life! Esp on football sites, eh!

  12. Jon, I replied to your post, but it has disappeared once again.
    As for your earlier reply, just want to see us as “Champions” one more time and die of delirium 😂😂😂

    1. Not bothered about league too much before i join the worms, i just want us to win the CL and then we will be an elite club.

    2. Ken Such a shame it disappeared, as I would much liked to have read it. CARE TO REPEAT IT NOW AND HOPE IT MAY REMAIN THIS TIME?

      What I really should add, for context, having criticised you for playing into AD’s grubby little hands, it that I am also guilty of doing the same many, many times. Maybe not specifically on Durham, who is lower than a worm and not worth concerning ourselves with, but on COUNTLESS other Arsenal matters and really all of us are doing every time we postanything at all is filling in time til we fall off this mortal coil! “Thou shalt not enjoy thyself!”( from the gospel of ascetics, chapter ten, verse nine!)

      How about that for being profound! It surely deserves either applause or a huge raspberry, dependent on ones view! I’d vote for the raspberry, myself! Anyway, applause just tends to make one big headed and my doorway is hardly wide enough, even as things stand!

  13. I really like Durham.The city that is.AD is a wind up merchant who loves to play the Devils Advocate but he became so tedious and predictable I stopped listening to Talksport 3 years ago.

  14. can i just say without reading all the comments written above, that after listening to durham and his wind up comments for the past few years ive had so much road rage driving home and i would love to land one right on his snout i dont listen to the twat anymore as he must have been bullied at school by some arsenal supporter. arteta make arsenal great again

  15. The fact that you are all talking about Durham suggests he is doing his job well.
    Remember there is no such thing as bad publicity!!

    As far as Wenger and a statue goes. During his tenure as Arsenal manager he had to cut his cloth to help service the debt on the new Emirates stadium.
    Then had to contend with money leaving the club to service the debt on the new KSE stadium in Los Angeles.

    Neither Ferguson, Klopp, or any Man City manager has had to do that.

    If you judge Wenger solely by his teams success, without taking into account of the monetary constraints that he worked within (and while having to fight off Gazidis), you are doing the man a real injustice!!!

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