BOURNEMOUTH’S DAN GOSLING has called for referee Jon Moss to apologise for alleged comments made to Cherries players during the club’s 2-1 Premier League loss to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday.
The former Everton and Newcastle United man labelled the official ‘a disgrace’, claiming that Moss had mocked him and his team-mates during the encounter with jibes regarding their current struggles near the foot of the table.
Eddie Howe’s outfit took the lead against the Blades after Callum Wilson fired the visitors ahead, but lost their advantage just before half-time when local boy Billy Sharp restored parity with his second top-flight strike of the season.
Then, with six minutes left to play in the second period, John Lundstram struck from close range to leave Bournemouth in 16th place in the English top tier, two points outside the relegation zone having played one game more than the majority of their fellow strugglers.
The result alone would have stung after going into the match with two wins on the trot, but a furious Gosling felt that referee Moss contributed to the final outcome with poor officiating coupled with ‘sarky comments’ aimed at the midfielder and his team-mates.
“The referee didn’t help,” the 30-year-old told the Daily Echo. “Giving soft fouls away and little comments to two or three of the lads didn’t help as well, really. I thought it was very disrespectful what he was saying.
“It was just the little niggly ones and then the little sarky comments. The officials talk about respect at the start of the season and there was no respect from John Moss on Sunday. I thought he was a disgrace.
“The comments that he made, especially to me and other players – talking about the relegation zone and ‘you’re still in the relegation zone, you’re having one, your team’s having one’ – this and that. It was very, very disrespectful.”
Asked to clarify whether Moss’ alleged comments were made with the match ongoing, Gosling added: “During the game, yeah. I think he should really come out and apologise because I thought he was a disgrace.”
Bournemouth will get a chance to return to winning ways after the winter break when they travel to Burnley on 22 February.
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Do players make any “comments” to referees these days? They often look to be the aggressors in exchanges.
@EnKy: what’s your point ?
Is Gosling serious? I’d love to see how many disrespectful things are said to a referee during a game. If referees punished dissent every time it happened then games would never finish.
@Sean Lynch: or it would be early showers with ehgames cancelled with it enough players in the pitch. Its embarrassing watching floods if players surround refs at every call against them. Usually appear very aggressive also.
I would love to see referees start wearing a mic. Let the word hear what vile abuse the players hurl at them. It’s not right. Players need to start being punished for screaming in refs faces
Boo hoo
Man complains about “sarky” comments by calling him a “disgrace” . Do they teach courses in lack of self awareness to EPL footballers these days because place seems full of it