A graphic shared on West Ham’s social media channels ahead of this fixture, depicting several players kayaking their way up the river towards Craven Cottage, raised eyebrows for one apparent inaccuracy: each had been equipped a paddle.
Wednesday’s 5-1 drubbing by Newcastle had left the Irons drifting towards you-know-what creek in their fight against relegation, the concession of goals four and five, in particular, seeming to indicate a team growing weary of battling a tide of ineptitude.
