Adrian Durham blasted Leeds United midfielder Ezgjan Alioski for his display in the 2-1 loss to Wigan on Friday.
The talkSPORT broadcaster claimed that the 27-year-old was loved by fans and has never had to deal with set-backs in his life, which may mean he hasn’t got the character to help his team if they end up in the play-offs.
Durham claimed Alioski was terrible against Wigan and just generally dismissed Leeds’ chance of promotion if they don’t get up automatically.
“He has never had to deal with set-backs, he has always been a favourite if you like, the fans love him there,” said Durham on talkSPORT (12:56, Monday April 22nd).
“But terrible game on Friday and if they have a set-back going into the play-off Leeds, I don’t think they have the characters to recover.”
OPINION
Durham is right that Alioski wasn’t fantastic against Wigan but the rest of his verdict should leave Leeds fans scratching their heads. The 27-year-old is not a fan favourite at Elland Road as he is often torn apart for any mistakes he makes, so it’s unclear why Durham believes Alioski has an easy ride from supporters. Also it’s extremely unfair to suggest the player is unable to deal with set-backs, as how would Durham honestly know that? The 27-year-old may not have suffered a heartbreaking relegation while at side, or just missed out on promotion, but at 27-year-old’s he has clearly dealt with adversity in his life. It seems the talkSPORT broadcaster is just trying to heap misery on Leeds fans for no reason after their loss to Wigan, and has made comments he could end up looking silly for. The Whites could end up in the play-offs and they are more than capable of winning them as Marcelo Bielsa’s squad has proven this season that they are made of stern stuff.