VIEW: United vs West Ham (a). 0-4

So…THAT’S how our unbeaten start to the season ended!

No one saw it coming, and as long as it doesn’t open the floodgates and signifies a beginning to a detrimental losing streak, I don’t think anyone is overly fussed.

It was a bit embarrassing – losing to a team planted at the bottom of the league is one thing, but conceding four (in one game) against a team who has scored only four at home (all season) is pretty damn awful. And clearly, as with every shock defeat we have suffered in the Carling Cup over the years (there haven’t been many in recent years), questions were immediately asked over the pedigree and the ability to gel of our new breed.

This crop have shown their hunger and ability already this season – Wolves in the Carling Cup and Bursaspor away in the Champions League spring to mind – and therefore any overly harsh criticism is purely that: overly harsh. Especially when you bare in mind the media bashing we got after our last defeat in the Carling Cup, 0-2 at home to Coventry in 2007, with a team that consisted of Anderson, Nani, O'Shea and Pique. Those first three helped, along with helping us to a League and Champions League  double that season, remain very much part of United's fabric. As for Pique? Well, we all know about his annoying success with both club and country, don't we!?

Back to the game, then. The only positive note came (and went) early on. Bebe and Obertan were our brightest players in the opening 10 minutes – our most ‘dangerous’ period of the game – however they withered away as the determination and intent of struggling West Ham heightened.

Maybe the team couldn’t gel, or maybe the old, slightly arrogant mentality, where we didn’t care because it was only the Carling Cup, returned. Either way, Bebe was subbed at half-time and Obertan, along with Hernandez and Anderson (remember his incredible display against Blackburn only three days earlier?) were left to bear the brunt and accept the humiliating performance to the end.

Of course it’s a shame that the 29 game unbeaten run is over. And I suppose it’s a bigger shame that we weren’t able to emulate the Scum and win the League Cup three years on a trot. But as Saturday’s annihilation of Blackburn suggests, as well as our status at the top, you feel we are more than ready to beat their record by winning number 19.