National radio star and lifelong Peterborough United fan backs Fergie and tells his critics to 'pipe down'

Durham sent his comments to the PT on Monday and called on the noisy Ferguson critics to ‘pipe down,’ while urging the players to do much more to ensure the most successful boss in the club’s history isn’t sacked.

Durham wrote: ‘It's been rubbish hasn’t it? Even those rare Posh wins have been ugly. But I don’t want anyone else managing my club. I’m still backing Darren Ferguson, and here’s why.

‘Posh started the League One season with no reliable goalscorer, and an injury to Alex Bass meant we had a goalkeeper crisis. We used four different goalkeepers in the first month. Before that opening day defeat at Cardiff, nobody sensible thought Posh would be troubling the top half never mind the top six.

‘A bundle of signings were made after the campaign got underway, so it’s fair to say we were not ready at the start of the season.

‘The bigger picture is that a brilliant team from two seasons ago has been demolished and replaced with players of a lower standard. As Alan Swann said here recently, only possibly Alex Bass would get into that team from the 2023-24 season.

‘I’m not calling out the chairman, or the Director of Football, or anything like that. The point I’m here to make is that I don’t want anyone other than Darren Ferguson managing my club. So I’m glad the chairman hasn’t knee-jerked.

‘Fergie wants to play a certain way, and I admire that. Without moaning he’s accepted the departures of players he coached and improved. Ferguson’s attacking and passing style of play made them look so good.

‘Mason-Clark, Poku, Edwards, Jones, Kyprianou and Burrows all benefited from playing under this manager. They were all allowed to get on the ball and become better footballers, and then they were allowed to move on to a higher level.

‘They’ve all left since the summer of 2024, basically that’s just over a year ago. The manager should not be taking the blame for that – he should be given time to allow these new players, some of whom have been here three weeks – to get used to the way he wants them to play.

‘It’s not easy getting League One standard players to play that way, to be confident on the ball, that takes time. So if you’re calling for the manager to go, please pipe down.

‘Posh were dreadful at Burton on Saturday, “miles away,’ said Fergie afterwards. “I’m wasting my time,” he said, bemoaning that the players weren’t doing in the game what they’d worked on in training. “I’m not watching that every week, no chance,” he continued.

‘Ferguson said they’d worked on moving the ball forward more quickly, but in the game they didn’t do it. He said he prides himself on how his teams play and he didn’t recognise his team in the first half.

‘The message to the players is this: the chairman has talked you up as “a top six squad.” Every Posh fan I’ve spoken to thinks that’s ludicrous. So it’s up to you lot to prove him right and prove us wrong.

‘But if you’re ignoring the manager, someone who knows how to get promoted from League One, someone who came up with a coaching masterclass at Wembley a few months ago for one of the best days in the club’s history, if you’re ignoring Darren Ferguson, then you’re going nowhere in your career.

‘Ricky-Jade Jones will be playing against Harry Kane and Bayern Munich at the Allianz at the end of November, and it won’t be because he ignored Darren Ferguson’s coaching.

‘George Nevett is clearly very talented, but anyone who saw him at Bristol Rovers last season knew he’d struggle in a four so Posh have changed system to get the best out of him.

‘Ferguson’s final words in his post-match interview worried me: “I’m wasting my time, and I’m not going to keep wasting my time.” I hope this bunch of players don’t get this manager sacked. He deserves more respect.’