Burkinshaw: players’ behaviour diabolical

WATFORD assistant boss Keith Burkinshaw last night labelled footballers’ behaviour “diabolical” and called on the authorities to clamp down on their diving and swearing.

Burkinshaw, who won two FA Cups and one UEFA Cup when he was in charge at Tottenham from 1976 to 1984, is Hornets chief Adrian Boothroyd’s right-hand man and hopes to help the Premiership strugglers to their first away win of the season at Portsmouth tomorrow.

But it is the actions of modern players which distresses Burkinshaw – and the 71-year-old believes the FA should hand heavier punishments to those who cheat and swear at referees.

“The behaviour has deteriorated over the years, and it is worse now than when I was at Tottenham,” Burkinshaw said.

“The FA have to be a little harsher. If people are falling over when they haven’t been touched, they should be banned.

“In rugby, the players show real respect for the referees, and we need to reach that standard.

“Swearing and cursing at referees is an absolutely diabolical thing, and it is certainly something we frown upon at this club.

“The English players are now just as bad as the ones from abroad when it comes to conning referees, but, in the beginning, the foreign players would look for that more.

“It has taken some of the honesty out of the game.”

Watford are 19th in the Premiership after recording just one win from their opening 12 matches.

They have competed in most matches, but have struggled for goals, with centre-forward Marlon King out for the rest of the season and Darius Henderson still looking for his first goal of the campaign.

Burkinshaw admitted Henderson was lacking badly in confidence but is certain that the 25-year-old will quickly regain self-belief when he finally gets off the mark.

Burkinshaw continued: “Darius is finding it tough. He has played in a lot of games, but he still has not scored.

“When we won our first game against Middlesbrough, the tension lifted a bit, and it will be the same for Darius. You can see he is a little bit tense.

“Last season, he was taking his chances, but he has not done it this season.

“It does not matter which league you are in. He has not put the ball in the net.”

Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd is keen to sign a striker in January to make his side more dangerous in attack.

But Burkinshaw knows it will be harder for Watford to make signings if they are still struggling in the bottom three.

He acknowledged: “We are short on strikers, because we do not have experience in that department.

“Marlon being out is a blow for us, but we have to get on with it. At the end of December, we have to know a player we could sign to improve things for us.

“If we are low in the table, some players will not come because of that. It is a difficult situation. We have to try to get the best out of it.”