Sacked in the evening...

West Ham 1 Leicester City 2

So the Manuel Pellegrini era has ended. Just as our group of dispirited Hammers were discussing likely new managers in the Refreshment Rooms — covering Benitez, Moyes, Hughton, Eddie Howe, Trevor Brooking, Ludek Miklosko and Christian Dailly —  the breaking news emerged on the TV screen. The pub erupted in cheers and a chorus of Bubbles, so it's clear most West Ham fans have had enough.

Pellegrini has seemed so rigid in his thinking in recent months and has never really grasped that WHU are sleepwalking towards relegation. He has twice broken West Ham's transfer record on Anderson and Haller and neither have delivered this season, while the obvious need for defensive signings and a new box-to-box midfielder has been ignored. 

It was the performance after going 2-1 behind tonight that really did for him. Taking off Haller and playing Antonio alone up front was pretty much a managerial resignation note. There was no pounding of the opposition goal to get an equaliser and the fact the team aren't playing for him became sadly obvious.

The only positives were that Fabianski returned in goal and saved the penalty he gave away, and that Fornals swept home a nice equaliser with an assist from Anderson. The winner saw the midfield disappear and Sanchez fail to track Gray's run. This was against basically a Leicester League Cup side — they rested Vardy, Maddison, Chilwell, Soyoncu, Pereira and Tielemans and still beat West Ham comfortably. 

The best line of the night did go to Michael the Whovian, fresh from another pantomime at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, when we brought on Ajeti (pronounced A Yeti), who quipped that with Antonio we now had two abominable snowmen up front. Nigel announced that he is definitely not renewing his season ticket in the Championship, despite mysteriously carrying last season's Leicester programme with a picture of Moyes on the cover. The Vicar's Son was exasperated by Masuaku's performance and Ajeti's two fluffs in front of goal and Fraser opted for anyone but Moyes (unless it's Big Sam or Pulis). Most of the crowd just seemed apathetic, conditioned to West Ham failure.

The only thing that went well was the pre-match tributes to Martin Peters from Geoff Hurst and Brian Dear. A sad end to a terrible run after a fourth successive home defeat and two wins in 14 matches. Pellegrini seemed a decent man, but he hasn't justified his £7m salary and really had to go on this season's form. The board have to get the next appointment right or it will be Championship football at the London Stadium.

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Fredericks 5, Diop 4, Balbuena 5, Masuaku 5; Rice 5, Sanchez 4 (Snodgrass 5); Anderson 5, Fornals 6, Lanzini 4 (Ajeti 3); Haller 4 (Antonio 5).