West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

&c

Newcastle turned in a frankly unacceptable performance at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday lunchtime, with abject displays all over the park giving West Ham their first home victory since February.

With the home fans already in a mutinous mood, Newcastle countered in the fourth minute after Jarrod Bowen struck the post and Jacob Murphy arrowed in an excellent drive past the despairing Areola.

From then on, however, we quite frankly didn't look bothered.

We've had our share of poor away performances - this makes it eight on the road without victory - but never before did I feel like we were coasting through the game under Eddie Howe.

Hopefully this is the last time and he gives the players an absolute rocket, because this was atrocious fare at one of the worst teams in the league.

Once West Ham had realised we were offering nothing in attack, with Woltemade completely isolated, they were emboldened to push forward again and again, Nick Pope variously making good saves and punching balls he should have been catching.

And when one of these punches landed at the feet of Paqueta, he drove a vicious shot goalwards which Pope completely lost the flight of and the scores were level.

And in the fifth minute of first half stoppage time, Botman turned the ball into his own net after Burn was found wanting at left back, Pope completely vacating his near post in anticipation of, presumably, a potential shot to the far post.

Half time brought a triple change with Osula, Ramsey and Schar replacing Woltemade, Gordon and Kraft.

Although Big Nick had barely seen the ball, it felt at the time and even more so now that a change of shape might have benefited us, possibly with Osula running off Woltemade.

Either way, the changes didn't work, and we never ever looked like scoring.

In fact, West Ham felt able to counter and we conceded in fairly embarrassing fashion at the end of second half stoppage time.

Though the table is still congested (we could have gone within two points of the top five with a win), the fact is we're only two points off 17th and it's already feeling like Champions League qualification is a write off via the league this season.

Let's hope the midweek visit of Bilbao gives us further European joy.