Written by : @ConorCulver

I’m forever blowing bubbles, pretty bubbles in the air, they fly so high nearly reach the sky and like my dreams they fade and die. Fortune’s always hiding, I’ve looked everywhere. I’m forever blowing bubbles, pretty bubbles in the air.

Has a song ever summed up a football club with so much accuracy? Not only does it depict the undying love and support we show but also highlights that in the end, dreams and good fortune remain beyond the reach of us. Oxford on Wednesday night was just another example in a long line of upsets that makes being a West Ham supporter so frustrating.

The most frustrating part is that this has happened time and time again. You’d think that the lesson would have been learned from last year away at AFC Wimbledon where we played a strong enough side but clearly weren’t up for it and deservedly got beaten. But with a similar group of players, you’d like to think they’d learn from their mistakes  – and clearly that wasn’t the case. We blatantly turned up at the Kassam on Wednesday night expecting a walk in the park against a team coming off of an impressive 6-0 away win at Lincoln.

It is not Pellegrini’s fault, and he should not take the blame. That side was more than capable of winning that game: multiple FA Cups, a Premier League winner, a new £20m+ signing – the list goes on. It is time that the players buck up their attitudes in every game, not just the big ones at home to Manchester United. Oh how quickly that result was forgotten.

The worst part of it all is that this did not come as a shock. After Spurs lost to Colchester and we were all laughing and joking we were always going to struggle – it’s the West Ham Way. But to lose 4-0 to a League One side that had made multiple changes is embarrassing.

So, what needs to change for future games like this? We need to be more focused and there needs to be a genuine understanding that playing well in these games may lead to a start in one of the bigger games. As it stands, Ajeti could score a hat-trick and, understandably, not get a look in at the starting XI in a big Premier League game which can’t be all too motivating. It is worth noting that he should be motivated regardless ,but squad competition is non-existent at the club in many positions.

One bright spot though seems to be Nathan Holland, who did receive promising reports from the game. He is the kind of player we need playing in these games as his young age should be complimented by a desire to prove himself, and we’ll look forward to seeing him play more in the future.

All this being said, it needs to be put behind us ahead of this weekend’s trip to Bournemouth and we have to ensure that we aren’t embarrassed at the hands of much lesser opposition in the FA Cup.