Lopetegui coming in

The Times is reporting that West Ham have agreed personal terms with Julen Lopetegui. Some certainty is welcome after the debacle at Chelsea yesterday and the players will have to perform to impress the new boss. He's won the Europa League with Sevilla and managed Spain and Real Madrid, so comes with quite a track record, as well as having guided Wolves to safety last season, even if they struggled to score goals and he left in a huff over a reduced transfer budget.

It's sad and rather ironic that David Moyes is being let go because his team can't defend, even though he's never won some fans over because of his defensive approach. I didn't have a problem with counter-attacking football if it was done well, but without a solid defence since Christmas the team has served up great entertainment in lots of games, as the anti-Moyes fans demanded, but mostly through high-scoring draws and a few thumping defeats. 

But overall we should thank Moyes for his record at West Ham. What's David Moyes ever done for West Ham apart from saving us from relegation twice, finishing sixth and seventh, reaching Europa League semi-finals and quarter-finals, winning the Europa Conference League and achieving a probable top half finish this season? He's let things drift with a too small squad and tired players since Christmas, but Moyes has also been let down by the players at times. I'll be giving him a farewell cheer on Saturday. Now let's see what Lopetegui can do.

Humiliation at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 5 West Ham 0 

Never felt confident going into this, with some justification. Chelsea take the lead after 15 minutes when a cross bounces off Zouma to Palmer who lashes home. At 1-1 Jarrod Bowen is unlucky to hit the bar with a header from a corner. The second goal sees the ball come off Zouma again and the Hammers again fail to win the second ball, with Gallagher shooting home. 

The third sees the unmarked Madueke get a free header from a corner. Gallagher hits the bar for Chelsea while Jarrod Bowen is again unlucky to see a shot hit the bar at 3-0 down. The second half sees Alvarez hauled off and Ward-Prowse on. We're certainly not getting enough from big-name signings like Alvarez, Paqueta and Kudus as the season disintegrates. 

The fourth, two minutes after the break, is an embarrassing lob over the top, with Emerson floundering and Madueke crossing for Jackson to tap home. Paqueta releases Emerson only for him to shoot wildly over. Bowen hits the bar yet again before Jackson gets a fifth from another long ball with Zouma and the back line again outpaced. Even VAR can't save us.

So it's 5-0 with the board partly to blame for turning Moyes into a lame-duck manager through the public pursuit of replacements, though the players have to look at themselves too. But Moyes is responsible for a terrible transfer window and not being able to organise a Moyes-like defence. We have the worst defensive record in the league outside the bottom three. West Ham need Mavropanos and Aguerd fit and full backs who can defend. If only we hadn't sold Craig Dawson.

Moyes has made real progress for most of his time as boss but the heavy defeats at Palace and Chelsea suggest the players are ageing and no longer doing it for him, though they should be as professionals. This feels like the end of the Moyes era.

Let Moyes concentrate on the final three games

Too many stories are leaking from West Ham at the moment. The latest, that Tim Steidten is unofficially banned from being around David Moyes and the first-team for the rest of the season, at least means that Moyes can get on with his job without having to deal with the man who could be tasked with finding his successor. It could be Moyes has decided to move on already or perhaps the board are not going to offer him a contract. But the pursuit of Julen Lepetegui, who the Guardian reported fancied Milan over Romford Market though the BBC now claim might be back in the frame, and Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim, who says talks with WHU were a "mistake", has been very public. Can't the club negotiate in secret? Results against Chelsea and Luton could still see a respectable finish. Let's leave the intrigue till the last ball is kicked. And Rishi Sunak might be available by then.

The quality of Mersey is strained

West Ham 2 Liverpool 2

It's off to Hackney Wick for the 12.30pm kick-off, buying a programme for the delayed Nigel, with Matt, Lisa and Michael somehow getting served in the Best Cafe and making kick-off. Nigel has even survived buying a stadium pie. 

Liverpool dominate the first quarter with Zouma and Ogbonna stretched, but slowly the Irons create some chances. Coufal has a goalbound shot deflected wide. Ogbonna almost gives away a penalty only to be saved by the linesman's flag. Not being 4-0 down after 30 minutes is a definite improvement. After a fine tackle by Alvarez, Bowen's deflected low shot is pushed round the post by Alisson. 

The Hammers take the lead after 43 minutes when a short corner is played to Kudus, whose cross is headed down by Bowen and in off the post. Matt says he's never doubted the wisdom of short corners. 

But the second half sees a different Liverpool emerge, with the men in white suddenly playing with greater intensity and bite. Robertson equalises with a swift turn and shot. Areola gets a hand to it but can't keep it out. The keeper then has to make a decent stop from Alexander-Arnold's long-range effort.

Liverpool take the lead with a somewhat lucky deflected goal, as Gakpo's shot deflects off Ogbonna and then on the line bounces off Soucek and Areola into the net. Defeat looks inevitable as Liverpool pile on the pressure. The dangerous Diaz twice races clear to force fine saves from Areola who is starting to look like a man swatting flies as shot after shot comes at him. "Let the season end now. There's no more chance of glory," reflects a moribund Michael, channelling Private Fraser.

Facing defeat Nigel takes decisive action, tucking into his lucky banana. This inspires Moyes tio bring on Ward-Prowse for Soucek. Emerson has a great half volley saved by Alisson and that seems to inspire the side. Bowen plays in a great cross and Antonio powers home a header for the equaliser. It's almost a copy of Antonio's goal against Leverkusen.

"You're just a shit Andy Carroll!" chant the home fans as Nunez warms up. Mo Salah comes on after a contretemps with Klopp and after a pacy run from deep sets up Harvey Elliott for a shot that pings against Areola's bar.

It's a great game for the neutral and at the end West Ham force a corner, only for ref Anthony Taylor to blow the final whistle before it can be taken. Still, the quality of Mersey has been strained. Liverpool lost the league at West Ham. Nigel says farewell to the bloke beside us, who in a Samuel Beckett-like speech says he's not renewing because he doesn't like the stadium or the football, he didn't enjoy today and the players these days are just like businessmen. Apart from that he's quite happy.

We set off for the Eagle where the East London Pale Ale is thankfully back (with ice), and the big news is that Matt and Lisa are on soft drinks because Lisa's mum and dad are coming up from the country and presumably think that their daughter's partner is a vicar's son who doesn't drink and is always tolerant of officialdom. 

A draw against a side that has been challenging for the title all season is a boost after the Palace debacle. One more home game left now and we're still in with a chance of the top eight or better, which isn't a bad season. Irons!

PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 8; Coufal 7, Zouma 7, Ogbonna 6, Emerson 7; Soucek 6 (Ward-Prowse 6), Alvarez 7, Paqueta 6; Kudus 7, Antonio 8, Bowen 8.

Managerial merry-go-round

Plenty of speculation in the press about West Ham talking to potential new managers. The Guardian reports that the club has held successful talks with Julen Lopetegu, the former Wolves manager. The Spaniard has previously managed Real Madrid and Spain so might be able to cope with West Ham, though he's probably never had several thousand geezers from Essex calling him a muppet.

Another name mentioned is the Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim who has a buy-out clause in his contract of £13m. Yes, it might be good to have a manager who uses subs more proactively (though interestingly Pep Guardiola also likes to make late-ish subs) and goes for all out attack. But flash foreign managers don't always succeed, and we should remember Manuel Pellegrini arrived having won the title at Man City. A cheaper option might be WHU's former player Gary O'Neil who has performed really well at Bournemouth and Wolves, while Tomas Frank at Brentford has produced a quiet miracle and there is also Graham Potter to consider.

It's hard to know if the club really have decided to part with David Moyes. A strong finish in the final four matches might save him, and finishing eighth would still be a good season for West Ham in historical terms. Whether he stays or goes Moyes can know he's done a fine job overall and made real progress, keeping the club up twice, finishing sixth and seventh, winning the Europa Conference League and reaching the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the Europa League. He certainly hasn't deserved some of the insults directed at him.

But whatever happens with the manager, a rebuilding job is now required. Cresswell and Ogbonna will be out of contract and leaving, Zouma's knees are creaking, Antonio is 34 and the squad is looking dangerously old, while the defence is far too leaky. It's going to be a very important summer for the club and Sullivan and Tim Steidten have to get their decisions right.

Hammer horror show at Palace

Crystal Palace 5 West Ham 2

We knew the side might be tired after Thursday's efforts against Leverkusen but there was no excuse for this. Had to turn off the radio after 31 minutes when it was 4-0. West Ham are a goal down after seven minutes when Fabianski comes and doesn't get Hughes' cross allowing Olise to head home. The second comes after a poor pass out of defence by Zouma leads to Mateta getting behind Ogbonna. Fabianski does well to save with his leg but Eze scores from the rebound with a brilliant overhead kick.

Number three is a comedy own goal from Emerson as Fabianski and Emerson leave the ball to each other. Number four sees Mateta tap home way too easily having got between Zouma and Ogbonna. The Hammers have no answer to Eze and co in midfield, though Antonio does bag a consolation after Soucek wins a header from Coufal's cross.

Moyes looks disgusted on the touchline and could substitute all 11 players, but opts to replace Ogbonna and Soucek at half-time with Johnson and Cresswell. The fifth goal is another embarrassment as Eze nutmegs Zouma to set up Mateta for his second. Thankfully Palace don't make it eight or nine as the game becomes a training exercise. Palace even gift the Hammers a second when Mitchell's back pass is missed by Henderson for another comedy own goal.

David Moyes was at least honest in his post-match apology, saying he was ashamed of the performance. This was absolutely not good enough and the defence is conceding as many goals as the bottom three clubs. We're either very good or very bad. West Ham are not playing like a Moyes side, he is normally capable of making a side resilient and difficult to break down. 

The lack of squad depth and the age of the players is showing, with a big rebuild needed in the summer. And if the side keep playing like this it may well be under a new manager. A big reaction is required against Liverpool.

Hammers go out with battling draw against champions

West Ham 1 Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Europa League)

In the Best Cafe Nigel and CQ have arrived early and been served kebabs, but for Matt, Lisa and myself it's a battle against understaffing and no hot drinks on offer. Matt and Lisa opt for chips in the absence of Halloumi mushrooms, while I go for the falafel. After a lengthy wait we head to the London Stadium in a storm, accompanied by Big Sam, who is wearing just a replica Prague final shirt as he is possibly the hardest (and coldest) man in football fandom. 

We just make the kick-off, but experience a sold-out programme disaster. Our party is joined by Michael the Bard of Stratford, who has possibly been detained in a room full of bad people, or at least political satirists, while Fraser is watching in Romford on a very expensive Now TV feed.

The crowd are up for another impossible comeback telling Bayer that we know what we are. The Hammers start off with real intensity. Fabianski has to parry an early shot from Tella, but the rest of the first half is all West Ham.The Irons take a 13th minute lead when the returning Bowen whips in a fine cross, with Antonio beating defender and pink-clad keeper Kovar to head home and spark pandemonium. 

The side is everything it wasn't against Fulham. Ward-Prowse has his best game in ages, playing further forward and snapping at the Bayer midfield. Kudus is causing the Germans real problems with his dribbling, Alvarez is back to his best mopping up loose balls and  Antonio is so worrying the Bayer defence that the already booked centre back Kossounou is hauled off after 29 minutes. Leverkusen look rattled and repeatedly pass into touch or to claret and blue shirts.

WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE

West Ham's best chance of levelling the tie comes when Kudus does really well to whip the ball in from the left and Bowen volleys against Kovar's leg. Bowen plays in another lovely cross that Antonio misses by a bootlace. Leverkusen are getting battered even if Antonio is getting nothing from ref Martinez. Billy McKinlay is red carded on the bench and a melee erupts among the payers as the ref loses control.

Bayer are definitely pleased to get to half-time only a goal down. Nigel eats a lucky star biscuit but elects to save his lucky banana for later, while CQ unpacks a veritable orchard of apples from her bag. We're joined by Steve the Cornish Postie, who is delivering himself back to Cornwall later by the night train. 

We figure Leverkusen will improve in the second half and they do after bringing on subs Frimpong and Boniface. West Ham's best chance comes from Bowen pouncing on a defensive mistake and crossing across the six-yard line only for the other forwards to arrive just too late. There's a rousing chorus of "You're not fit to referee!" as the ref makes a series of bizarre decisions. Carolyn hands out lucky liquorice, which proves it takes all sorts.

But Bayer are exerting more control on the game and Frimpong forces a decent save from Fabianski. It looks ominous when Frimpong gets behind the defence in na one-on-one only to fire wildly over the bar when he could have squared it. 

Just as it looks like West Ham will at least become the first team to beat Leverkusen this season Frimpong gets in the box in the 89th minute and despite being surrounded by defenders gets in a shot that takes a hefty deflection off Cresswell to nestle past Fabianski. He's clearly relieved as he runs to the bench and the red and white army bounce up and down in the away end.

It's cruel but the fans respond in the right way with a rousing chorus of Bubbles. Sub Ben Johnson has a decent shot wide in added time, so it ends 1-1 and we're out of Europe. But it's a performance to be proud of and the fans rise to applaud the team off. The players have given everything, though again we've lost to a team with a bigger squad.

Nigel and CQ head off to east of Ipswich, while the rest of us yomp in the rain to the Eagle, though Matt has forgotten his waterproofs, compass and survival bag. 

There's only Guinness or Newcastle Brown on offer, but at least Matt gets to reminisce about his latest trip to see Frenford FC play in the Essex Senior League, where the keeper was sent off for handling outside the area. This produces a stream of consciousness as we recall Adrian once going up for a corner and getting sent off for an ill-advised high kick. 

Oh well. We've enjoyed our three years in Europe, which is a credit to Moyes, though to again qualify we're going to need to get a lot of points from a difficult final five games. Paqueta and Emerson will be back at Palace and now we have to give it everything in the league. Irons!

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 7; Coufal 7 (Johnson n/a), Zouma 7, Aguerd 6 (Ogbonna 6), Cresswell 6; Soucek 7, Ward-Prowse 7, Alvarez 7 (Cornet n/a); Kudus 8, Antonio 8, Bowen 8.