As Andy Madley blew the final whistle at the London Stadium, many West Ham fans were on their way home, some already there with the kettle on.
The slight sound of boos could be heard around the ground, but they were just as pathetic as the Hammers’ performance. Understandable though, given there were only a few thousand fans left in their seats at the end of the match.
In the 81st minute, thousands of supporters poured out of the stadium as part of the protests aimed at West Ham’s ownership. In particular, chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady, who could only look on glumly as tens of thousands of empty white seats starred them in the face.
It was in that 81st minute where surely the pair must have wondered, how it got this bad. How is it that two years after winning a European title, West Ham fans are now looking at the worst start to a Premier League campaign ever? And how is it that relegation is looking more and more inevitable each week?
Before kick-off, the focus was all about the West Ham fans potentially boycotting the match. The occasion marked exactly one month since the protest before their game against Crystal Palace. On 20th September, thousands of West Ham supporters protested against how the club is run and called for Sullivan and Brady to step down.
At the time, Graham Potter was in charge, the Hammers sat 18th and were already out of the Carabao Cup. Banners read ‘15 years of destroying West Ham United’ and chants of “sack the board” and “we are not West Ham anymore” rang out among the protesters.
One month later, Nuno Espirito Santo is in charge, West Ham have dropped to 19th and there have been no signs of improvement. Four points, six defeats, and 18 goals conceded.
Embed from Getty ImagesLast night, Nuno made big changes to the starting line-up in the hopes of sparking some kind of improvement in his side’s performances. The five changes included dropping Aaron-Wan Bissaka, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Malick Diouf from the backline, only to bring them into the fold at half-time.
Those confusing and frankly pointless substitutions cost West Ham at the end. Mavropanos came off injured, and his side had to finish the game with 10 men as they had no changes left to make.
Before that though, West Ham almost looked like they were playing with a man down anyway. There was no cohesion whatsoever. Full backs Kyle Walker-Peters and Ollie Scarles were playing on opposite flanks to what they were used to, the midfield was empty, and in the end, West Ham players resorted to hoofing long balls up to 20-year-old Callum Marshall in the hopes of finding an equaliser.
Rivals Brentford on the other hand, dominated the London derby from start to finish, despite not winning an away game all season prior to kick-off. The Bees had 22 shots, created five big chances and registered an xG of 2.37. Keith Andrews’ side hadn’t managed to keep a clean sheet in their previous six matches either, but against West Ham, it was a simple feat to achieve.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe hosts only had one shot on target from seven efforts and registered an xG of 0.35. West Ham were bullied in their own back garden. It’s no wonder their fans have had enough.
On Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher said: “Shocking… it feels an awful long time since they won that European trophy… When supporters go against their club or go against an ownership, a lot of the time it’s almost a last resort… The way they are run right now means they can’t actually compete on the pitch.”
In the post-match press conference, Nuno even admitted there is “anxiety” at West Ham. He said: “We are all concerned, you can see it from our fans.”
The Portuguese manager’s first home game as Hammers boss was a nightmare. From leading Forest to Europe to watching on helplessly as his West Ham side put on a terrible performance at home.
Even though his team held Brentford off until the 43rd minute, a goal had been coming for a long time. Before Igor Thiago broke the deadlock, the Bees already had 14 attempts on goal. Despite Alphonse Areola getting a hand to Thiago’s strike, there was no stopping the inevitable.
Embed from Getty ImagesThiago had another goal before the end of the half, a delicate chip over Areola to double Brentford’s lead. However, that was ruled out for offside, denying Brentford their second goal.
West Ham’s final action around Brentford’s box came in the 91st minute, when Lucas Paqueta volleyed the ball far and wide of the goal, into the empty stands. The Brazilian’s effort pretty much summed up West Ham’s night – a shambles.
Three minutes later, Mathias Jenson put the nail in the coffin. Keane Lewis-Potter drove to the by-line with ease and cut the ball back to an unmarked Jenson. 1-0, 2-0, it didn’t matter for West Ham fans, they were already on the sofa with a cup of tea. Regardless of the score, the outcome was the same. Another defeat. The fourth in a row. All whilst allowing a rival team who hadn’t won away all season to drive 10 miles down the road and take all three points without really trying.
A break from the misery will be short lived too. On Friday, Nuno’s side take on Leeds at Elland Road. The West Ham faithful will be dreading that fixture, whilst Leeds will be licking their lips at the opportunity to extend the gap between them and the drop zone.
In previous seasons, newly promoted teams have struggled to match the Premier League standards and perhaps saved West Ham’s blushes, especially last year. This season though, Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley are all currently safe, even if there is still a long way to go. Regardless, it looks as though West Ham’s luck may have finally run out.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Isabelle Newnham
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