Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag criticised the inconsistency of Premier League referees after Casemiro was sent off for the second time in as many months.
Casemiro was shown a yellow card for an overzealous tackle on Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz in the 32nd minute of United's goalless draw, but referee Anthony Taylor was advised to consult the monitor for a replay and he retrospectively dismissed the Brazilian.
The 31-year-old will serve a four-match suspension as he had already been sent off this season against Crystal Palace and it will take the total number of games Casemiro has been banned for up to eight.
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Ten Hag questioned why Casemiro's challenge warranted retrospective action when Leicester right-back Ricardo Pereira's studs-up tackle on Chelsea forward Joao Felix went unpunished on Saturday. Ten Hag did not rule out appealing Casemiro's red card.
The Dutchman also felt United were denied a penalty for an apparent handball by Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap from Marcus Rashford's cross.
"What I think is the inconsistency, players don't know anymore what is the policy," Ten Hag said, "and I think it's all across.
"We see it with Premier League yesterday: Leicester-Chelsea, the VAR is not coming on the line. Today, it's coming on the line. And then it's two penalty situations, but they don't come on the line. Especially the first one, it was clear and obvious handball so what is the policy?"
When asked if he had asked Taylor for clarification on the policy, Ten Hag replied: "Of course, we talk but not a lot, so some questions we have.
"There's another one: inconsistent. The referee is coming in the start of the season with a policy, we are Premier League, it's coming strong here, we want intensity.
"Casemiro is across European games, over 500 games he never had a red card. Now he has two. Think about that. He plays tough but he plays fair. And also in this, he's playing fair, same as against Crystal Palace, so it's very debatable.
"Everyone who knows something about football, you know, and of course, when you freeze it, it looks bad. But everyone who knows something about football, who was acting on top football, they know what is bad, what isn't bad and what is fair. And I tell you: Casemiro is a really fair player. Tough, but fair."
Ten Hag also suggested the freeze-framing of potential red cards took incidents out of context. "When you do it like this you have to be consistent across all of the games, all of the decisions.
"And if they isolate one - it's a little bit the same as against Crystal Palace, definitely. When you saw that incident you should have sent off three or four players and not only one if you're really consistent."
Ten Hag added Casemiro, who has been carded in nine of his last 17 appearances, was not particularly talkative in the dressing room afterwards and was "disappointed".
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