So that was the reserve team in action with four players bought during the summer and winter included in a West Ham team which hadn’t a clue,
I wish I could include the line of a Tom Petty song – Into the Great Wide Open – which contains the line “A rebel without a Clue” – but there wasn’t one rebel out in the Brentford great wide open who seemed to have any idea at all apart from Fab.
Brentford – as has been the case with many teams playing against us this season – were faster, more potent and who created greater chances to be thwarted only by Fabianski.
With so many new faces – nine of them being given their chances – they really should have been up for it. They weren’t or perhaps just aren’t good enough.
Aguerd was awful, Ings unlucky to see a goal disallowed which came back from the post onto his arm – a scenario he could do nothing about.
But beyond that we were well useless until Said Benrahma came on to show some real threat against his former team. Oh sorry he was a rebel with a clue.
In the end though 2-0 flattered us big time with even Declan showing little when he arrived as a sub and by the way let’s not try to pretend this match meant nothing.
It was an opportunity to make Premier League survival mathematically certain and gain big confidence for Thursday evening. We failed at both levels and as a result it’s hard for any of us to be upbeat about the match in Holland.
It can be argued that the team had not played together before but they have certainly trained together and know what’s expected.
The reality was they didn’t show up!
VERDICT BY HUGHIE SOUTHON