Early collapse leaves Hammers on the brink

AS a symbol of West Ham’s season it was just about perfect.

For some reason Avram Grant decided to throw his notes back to the bench at the same time as there was a gust of wind and the sheets of paper blew across the pitch.

Referee Howard Webb paused to pick up Grant’s pad but there was no attempt to gather the rest, which were swept around the field as his players chased their own lost causes and slipped to a fifth straight defeat.