Steven Schumacher did not have to pass much judgement on the defending which granted Millwall three goals in the final nine minutes of the match, for his players had already shown him that they understood how far things had slipped.
The old footballing cliché tells us it is good to have another game come around quickly after a defeat.
“But not when it’s West Ham,” Schumacher wryly observed.
The Hammers, fresh out of the Premier League with a deep squad still flecked with top-flight talent, have started to flex their muscles over the last two games, rattling four goals past Wolves and three past Derby County.
Wanderers have conceded seven times in their last two outings and though their performances have perhaps warranted more than the four points on the board so far, there are nevertheless some key issues for Schumacher to address.
Only Lincoln City have converted a smaller percentage of shots taken into goals, while at the other end only Wolves and Burnley – who followed West Ham through the relegation trapdoor last season – have conceded from a higher percentage of the shots they have faced over the first five games.
Chris Forino spoke for the dressing room at The Den, confirming that the internal inquest had been an immediate one.
“What can’t happen now, it can’t be a slump, and it can’t be seven goals in two games, and that we just roll over now for teams,” he said.
“It has to be the polar opposite.
“No-one in there is a bad person, on a human level. No-one in there is a bad person.”
“I’ve said some harsh things in my time at this football club when I felt like it’s needed, and that doesn’t make me a bad person. People have said things to me, that doesn’t make them bad people.
“We were all in there with one common goal, and that common goal is not to lose a game 4-0.”
Wanderers have not welcomed West Ham for a league game in nearly 15 years.
Chung-Yong Lee and Daniel Sturridge were on the scoresheet when last the Hammers came to town, back at a time when Owen Coyle’s side were riding the crest of a wave to Wembley, with an FA Cup semi-final against Stoke City awaiting them the following weekend.
Johan Elmander’s performance as an auxiliary midfielder was good enough to convince Coyle he should try it again, and David Wheater was rested with the semi-final in mind, only for Zat Knight to keep his place when the team was announced.
Between the win against West Ham and the embarrassment against Stoke, tales of the team’s poor preparation for the showpiece have passed into folklore.
Steven Schumacher has pledged to use his available time before Tuesday night wisely, and with a change necessary at right-back because of an injury to Lewis Brunt, he hopes his players will give themselves a better chance at the Toughsheet.
“We knew way back before a ball was kicked that there would be weeks like this because that is what this division is all about, it is unforgiving,” he said.
“We have played Sheffield United and Millwall, who will be two really strong teams this year, and we’ve played really well away from home and come away with nothing. And the Lincoln game, again, we spoke about the one mistake that’s cost us. It is unforgiving, but we have got to look at ourselves.
“You can’t make silly errors in any game, certainly against these types of opponents, because you’ll just get punished.”
Forino hopes the Wanderers fans can help repair any bruised pride with their usual backing, and with arguably the Championship’s toughest test up ahead, he has called on the players to do their bit too.
“We knew it weren’t going to be easy,” he said.
“We knew the whole season we weren’t going to win 46 games of football. I don’t think anyone would have expected that.
“So, this is a bump. This is a really hurtful bruise on a long and windy road. So, we definitely need the fans right now.
“I’m going to use the word unwavering. This football club, their fans are so passionate here. I think they deserve more fight than they got, there.”