Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder was sent off after he booted a ball in frustration at his own fans.
The incident occurred right on half time during the Blades’ 2-1 defeat to Southampton as Wilder was about to head down the tunnel at Bramall Lane.
Wilder’s side went into the break with a 1-0 lead thanks to Tyrese Campbell’s 28th-minute strike.
What did Wilder do to get sent off?
As he made his way off the field, Wilder took his anger out on a ball that was sent flying into the stands.
Recognising the friendly fire, Wilder immediately went into the stands to get the ball back and apologise to the supporters he gave an almighty scare.
But referee Adam Hergzec didn’t see the funny side of it.
Upon Wilder returning back to the field, the official brandished a red card for the Blades boss.
Wilder was stopped dead in his tracks and waited a few seconds before he accepted his fate and went down the tunnel.
The Blades boss’ frustrations may have stemmed from a controversial penalty decision in which Southampton striker Ross Stewart was adjudged to have been brought down inside the box by goalkeeper Michael Cooper.
Luckily for the hosts, they were given a reprieve when Adam Armstrong blazed his attempt from the spot over the bar.
Unfortunately for the Blades, things soon went from bad to worse as Stewart netted an equaliser for the visitors early in the second half.
It took Stewart just seven minutes to add his second of the match to put the Saints in front.
Despite Sheffield United’s best efforts to find a late equaliser, one was not forthcoming as Southampton held on for their first league win since August 9.
The result lifted the Saints up to 14th in the Championship.
As for Wilder’s side, they remain rooted to the bottom of the table with one win and seven defeats from eight games.
Reaction to Wilder red
Wilder’s red meant he was prevented from doing media duties post-match, so his assistant Alan Knill was the one to undertake the role.
Unsurprisingly, the topic of his boss’ half-time indiscretion came up and when asked about the incident, Knill said: “Yeah, I think the ball was down and he was frustrated and he’s gone to either kick it into the dugout or kick it against one of the boards and he just lifted it and it’s gone into the stand.
“The referee’s seen that and decided to send him off.”
Knill then joked: “Yeah, technique I think. He wasn’t a striker, was he?”
When asked what made Wilder so angry, Knill responded: “I think there was quite a lot in that game. In the first half and definitely in the second half that frustrated Chris. So yeah, I think a culmination of a lot of things.”
How has Wilder fared in his third stint as Sheffield United manager?
The defeat to Southampton was Wilder’s third game in charge since he returned to Bramall Lane.
Wilder was re-hired following Ruben Selles’ axing after the Spaniard oversaw an alarming run of six defeats from as many games to begin his Blades tenure.
Selles took over from Wilder after he oversaw the Blades’ heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Sunderland in last season’s Championship play-off final.
Wilder’s first game back after Selles’ departure ended in a 1-0 loss at home to Charlton Athletic.
However, Wilder managed to avoid an eighth-straight defeat for the Blades to start the season with a vital 1-0 win away at Oxford United last Saturday.