Few feelings in modern football elicit the same dread as the referee jogging over to the pitch-side monitor with your team set to be on the receiving end of a decision.
This is usually preceded by a lengthy spell of the referee holding their finger to their ear when in discussion with the VAR officials - a time during which anxiety will build among fans, those of whom are in the stadium usually unaware of what is actually going on.
As the referee then rushes over to look at the screen, acceptance sinks in. Such is the rarity of referees going against the recommendation of the VAR officials, a visit to the monitor usually means your fate is set.
Cue discontent between one set of fans, and elation among the other.
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"VAR, checking red card," the notorious robotic female voice reads out at Old Trafford - helpfully delayed as always - just past midway through the first half of Manchester United's meeting with Southampton. Anthony Taylor makes his way over to the sidelines.
There has already been a period of tension, with Carlos Alcaraz on the deck in pain and Casemiro's face etched with sheepish worry as Taylor communicated with his Stockley Park colleagues.
By the time Taylor is reviewing the challenge, which saw Casemiro's foot bounce over the ball and make contact with the Southampton midfielder's shin, the Brazilian was already coming to terms with what was to come.
By coming to terms, it meant he had his head in his hands in dejection. And as Taylor returned to brandish the red card, Casemiro had to be consoled by team-mates as tears seemed to start to flow - an indication of his deep care for playing for United.
He was distraught as quickly sunk in that he would be missing the next four domestic matches - only on his second league match, and the first at home with the other the dismal 7-0 defeat to Liverpool, since his previous suspension after seeing red against Crystal Palace.
There was a striking sense of deja vu. And being his second straight red card of the league campaign, he has to serve an additional match on the sidelines compared to the usual three games.
By the time this latest suspension is over, he will have been banned on three occasions - the first coming for an accumulation of yellow cards - and will have featured only three times in the league for United in over four months.
His importance to United cannot be understated, hence the despondency drawn up by his latest ban. The last month or so will have been bittersweet to him.
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Erik ten Hag was quick to jump to Casemiro's defence after the game concluded on Sunday afternoon. "Casemiro played over 500 games in Europe and never once got a red card," he justified amid some doubts about his discipline.
While aggressive, Casemiro is by no means a dirty player - evidenced by the fact he had never been awarded a straight red card prior to joining United. His challenge on Alcaraz was reckless and probably warranted a dismissal, but it was by no means malicious, which seemed to be acknowledged by Southampton's players.
Casemiro was apologetic to his counterpart - a further indication of his supreme professionalism. But, more than anything, the manner in which the challenge became dangerous was highly unfortunate, with Casemiro's foot essentially bouncing over the ball. In the modern game, however, studs-up follow-throughs warrant penalisation, even if that is applied, like many things, on a lamentably inconsistent basis.
It is hard to excessively criticise Casemiro for the nature of the two red cards he has picked up. His sending off against Palace was particularly contentious as alternative angles to those shown to VAR showed him grabbing Will Hughes' collar rather than his neck as alleged, while there was a definite degree of misfortune to his challenge against Southampton.
Casemiro has been renowned for his savviness when it comes to dealings with referees, with a rapport often being built with officials to get them on his side. However, while he does get away with possible yellow-worthy challenges at times, tough stances are being taken.
And United were left in deep water by this against Southampton given Casemiro's significance to them. Even at the start of proceedings on Sunday, he made a high proportion of a number of early defensive interventions as United had to hold a front-footed Southampton at bay.
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It was possibly in part due to Ten Hag's approach that United were forced to defend to the extent they were in the early stages. He named Casemiro as the sole midfielder in a Pep Guardiola-like fashion, with Bruno Fernandes tasked with occasionally coming deeper in a supporting role.
This left space for Southampton to exploit at times, causing Lisandro Martinez to pick up an early yellow card for one overzealous prevention. Albeit having essentially five attackers on the pitch, with Jadon Sancho replacing Fred from the start, saw United play some expansive football and disjoint the opposing defence.
However, given Casemiro's expulsion, there wasn't ultimately enough time to tell if Ten Hag's attacking approach would have paid dividends. United rallied in the immediate aftermath with no established holding midfielder, and by the 44th minute, Weghorst was sacrificed and Scott McTominay introduced.
The game was, in one word, frantic. Perceived officiating injustices reared their head on occasion, with two penalty claims, particularly for an awkward-seeming Armel Bella-Kotchap handball, waved away. One minute being added on at the end of the first half despite an individual stoppage of around five minutes added to existing disillusionment.
The game was chaotic, with neither side, particularly United, managing to find rhythm. It was already an open game with Casemiro on the pitch, but the numerical imbalance only led to it becoming more end-to-end - a sign of the loss of control among the United ranks without Casemiro.
Both sides had their opportunities yet lacked a clinical edge, each hitting the woodwork and Southampton having a near own goal from McTominay cleared off the line by Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Ruben Selles' side managed 17 shots to United's 10, with United defending well against adversity and David de Gea in good form, twice denying Theo Walcott in acrobatic fashion.
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It was a fairly commendable outcome that United managed to keep a clean sheet and hold onto a goalless draw after playing an hour with only 10 players, with the likes of Martinez and Shaw standout in helping to achieve this.
But, of course, there is the cost of having to contemplate how to compensate for Casemiro's absence. Again.
The players rallied without him against Southampton, using their newfound resolve against adversity, but they are weakened to a sizeable extent without Casemiro. He will miss a tricky run of games against Fulham (in the FA Cup), Newcastle United, Brentford and Everton.
United lost narrowly against an admittedly dominant Arsenal side when Casemiro was first suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards. The subsequent game absent after his red card against Palace saw a substandard performance and 2-2 draw against Leeds United, then an unconvincing win against Leeds and more convincing victory against Leicester City.
However, the order will be even taller this time around, with an additional game and the opposition generally higher up the Premier League table.
McTominay did a sufficient job in deputising for Casemiro in an unstable 4-4-1 set-up against Southampton, working hard to cover lots of ground and hold the opposition at bay with his physicality. He was also a driving force in possession to a decent extent, albeit United struggled to string together moves with much fluency with a man less.
It seems Ten Hag views McTominay as his alternative No.6, and his underappreciated well-rounded skillset makes him a good squad option and has led to interest from the likes of Newcastle. He will likely play a big part in coming domestic games given Fred isn't seen as able to play the holding role, and with uncertainty over Marcel Sabitzer's fitness at present.
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The upcoming international break will at least allow necessary recuperation from fatigue that has started to mar United, allowing them to be primed to maximise performances in the absence of Casemiro.
They will, however, rue a missed opportunity to have beaten the side bottom of the Premier League heading into the match. Given the context of playing the majority at a numerical disadvantage though, and having played Real Betis less than three days earlier, Ten Hag's side can't be too displeased.
The bigger picture shows they remain two points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand, and their margin inside the top four ahead of Newcastle in fifth is still six points (although having played a match more). They are still eight points clear of Liverpool in sixth.
United showed valiance to overcome Southampton, but it is clear that the task won't get much easier given the suspension that pends for Casemiro. A crucial few domestic matches await in his absence - first Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-finals, then three league games after the upcoming internationals.
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