by The Echo »
28 Mar 2010 18:29
Quite frank Durso was abysmal
Whist I have seen worse performances from a referee down the years Durso's failing and the reason his career has nosedived is that he is essentially a coward. What I would call "a percentage ref". He fails to judge incidents on their individual merits and resorts to the history book of referring in his mind. If Player A win the ball in position X then more often than not it's a foul. Result: Blow whistle and award a freekick. Hope nobody really notices his lack of skill with the whistle or confidence in his ability.
There were countless examples of such 'percentage decisions'. The incident when the defender slipped over under pressure from Long in the penalty box was shocking decision by Durso. Maybe it is this type of cowardly approach to referreing that infuriates players. Durso appears detattched and uninterested in what is actually happening on the pitch. After watching him twice this year I can begin to see the roots of the infamous "Old Trafford Lynching" all those years ago. Players are generally contemptuous of his referring style.