It should be hoped that Sunday’s five minute spell of madness at Old Trafford is one day seen as a tipping point in the relationship between players and the referees but the likelihood is that it won't be.
Sunday's chaos – that saw two Fulham players and manager Marco Silva sent off in the space of 40 seconds – will be looked back on as an anomaly and that is perhaps the greatest shame.
The abuse of referees and their assistants is endemic in the Premier League and all the way down the football pyramid.