Ronald Koeman was annoyed with Mark Clattenburg’s decision to hand Graziano Pelle a booking that rules him out of Tuesday night’s Capital One Cup quarter-final.

The Italian striker, Saints’ top scorer this season, has been walking a disciplinary tightrope for weeks after collecting four yellow cards, leaving him just one away from a one game ban.

He tipped over that mark in the 1-0 defeat at Burnley.

Pelle walked over and shoved Burnley’s George Boyd as he took an interminable amount of time to leave the field after Clattenburg had ordered him to do so in order to receive treatment for an injury.

Burnley were leading at the time with Saints keen to get back into the match.

After the altercation, Clattenburg booked both Pelle and Boyd, which Koeman was surprised about.

He said: “You know if you have four you are one out of suspensions.

“I think it was an emotional reaction as the player Boyd was slowly, slowly, slowly, taking time, taking time.

“The referee has to do that.

“Why two yellow cards for both players? Why?

“I am usually watching Match of the Day and they shake hands and have a short talk to the players and go on. Two yellow cards? Please.”