West Ham fans looking for evidence of the reason the club is all but relegated need look no further.
Another game and another defeat, at home to a depleted Fulham side, has pushed West Ham closer to the Premier League trapdoor.
The Hammers went into the game against the Cottagers knowing only a win would do to start closing the gap on the teams above them.
When Nottingham Forest lost to Man City, it gave West Ham the chance to close within two points of Sean Dyche’s side.
But Nuno Espirito Santo’s men could not take advantage, barely creating any gilt-edged chances and wasting the opportunities that did arise.
Relegation looks inevitable for West Ham after Fulham defeat
In reality, though, anyone who watched the Forest game knows the Tricky Trees will be nowhere near relegation come what May.
And calling Nuno’s players ‘men’ is also a reach.
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A more accurate description would be mice and come May many will be rats deserting this sinking ship.
This was a defeat which has likely rubberstamped West Ham’s increasingly inevitable relegation.
If the Hammers cannot beat a seriously understrength Fulham at home then hope is all but dead.
Fans have been making it perfectly clear who they blame for the shambles that has unfolded over the last two years with more protests against the ownership during the game.
On the pitch, though, one man was directly to blame for the demoralising loss – Ollie Scarles.
After impressing initially when coming into the side under Graham Potter, Academy graduate Scarles has looked a bit like a fish out of water since.
Scarles dropped out of the team at the back end of last season and was brought in from the cold by Nuno recently.
The left-back has struggled to convince he is Premier League standard. Although he may not need to be next season the way things are going.
Scarles actually played well in the first half against Fulham.
Reaction of West Ham stars to Scarles tears is a disgrace
But his second half display grew worse with every passing minute as he got caught under two crossfield balls which could and should both have been goals for Fulham.
The defender gave the ball away several times and looked visibly flat on his feet before the fatal error which gift-wrapped Fulham’s 1-0 win late on.
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Scarles swiped at the ball like an amateur when trying to clear it from the box.
It fell to Harry Wilson who had the simple task of dinking it across for Raul Jimenez to score.
Scarles fell to the floor devastated.
He was picked up by Jean-Clair Todibo but the damage was done and the game was lost.
It was what happened after the game that was most telling, though.
Because the disgusting reaction of West Ham stars towards their crying teammate shows why relegation is sealed.
One of the biggest issues with this hodge podge, ramshackle West Ham squad is a lack of real leadership.
Even star player Jarrod Bowen continues to face questions over whether he is the right man to lead West Ham as captain.
Scarles was so distraught after the game he was caught on video in floods of tears as he held his hands up to fans in apology.
It is hard to watch and Scarles needs to realise that this is not his fault – this is a situation that has been two years in the making, not one moment in the last 10 minutes of a game against Fulham.
West Ham mess isn’t on Scarles, it’s been two years in the making
But what was even harder to watch was the lack of support he received from his teammates.
As Scarles showed more courage than most of the rest of the squad combined to go around the London Stadium pitch apologising, his so-called senior teammates – bar Kyle Walker-Peters – did not come over to console him.
Walker-Peters was one of West Ham’s best players and showed he is a great pro too by comforting Scarles as he cried on the pitch.
The rest of the team were nowhere to be seen.
The moment was captured on the press box monitors by Athletic reporter Roshane Thomas, who was also taken aback by the lack of support West Ham’s players gave Scarles.
You can watch the video in the post below.
Where are the leaders?
Imagine Mark Noble or Declan Rice in that scenario.
If anyone is looking for reasons why West Ham are going down without a fight, don’t look at Scarles but rather the absence of any true teammates rallying around him when he needed it most.
If West Ham’s players can’t show love and care for someone they work with closely day in, day out, don’t expect them to roll up their sleeves and fight for a badge.
No wonder the Hammers have lost every London derby they have played this season.
And no wonder they are going down without a fight.
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