Man Utd drew against lowly Southampton in the Premier League fixture at Old Trafford after Casemiro’s controversial sending off.
Lisandro Martinez and Antony were almost in the technical area. Antony applauded Luke Shaw for a cynical foul that warranted a yellow card.
Southampton are unlikely opponents to bring out the siege mentality in Manchester United. United played with 10 men for an hour as both goals led charmed lives in an enthralling goalless draw.
Erik ten Hag approached referee Anthony Taylor on the pitch at full-time and they shook hands professionally. United will not be appealing Casemiro’s overzealous 34th-minute tackle on Carlos Alcaraz that signalled his second expulsion of the season.
United supporters had harrumphed at referee Taylor’s officiating all afternoon before he consulted the monitor adjacent to the away dugout. A Southampton analyst sat a couple of dozen of rows back immediately opined it was a red card offence from Casemiro. Taylor agreed.
Casemiro was consoled by Antony, Martinez and the Southampton striker Che Adams. The contrite Casemiro shared an embrace with an understanding Alcaraz.
Coincidentally, the referee Andre Marriner, who flourished the red card at Casemiro against Crystal Palace last month, was the VAR who advised Taylor to consult the monitor. If Matt Le Tissier was not of a Southampton persuasion, he might have peddled another conspiracy theory.
United will have to cope without Casemiro against Fulham in their FA Cup quarter-final and in their April league meetings away at Newcastle and at home to Brentford and Everton. United fared reasonably during Casemiro’s three-match absence in February, winning two and drawing with Leeds, but were exposed at Arsenal in January during his first ban.
The bigger picture for United is their league form has to be addressed before Easter. Although Liverpool suffered another false dawn, Tottenham have made up some ground this week and consolidating third place with two more trophies to play for would manage the workload. United have won three of their last eight in the league.
The indignation at Taylor’s officiating had been simmering prior to Casemiro’s dismissal and the refusal to penalise Armel Bella-Kotchap for a possible handball inside the area left Bruno Fernandes so apoplectic he confronted Taylor with the ball still in play. Marriner was content with the original decision.
To compound Taylor’s contentious half, he added a meagre one minute of added time when Casemiro’s challenge had caused a stoppage that must have totalled close to five minutes.
