You know it's going to be a bad day when you've been unintentionally held up and get to the match or the pub a minute or so after kick-off, just in time to see the opposition roll the ball into your net...

Of course, for West Ham it's Liverpool in general and Steven Gerrard in particular, and we should all really be used to it by now so, what can only be described as a bit a pasting, didn't really come as any great surprise. As I've said earlier, the Hammers can hold their own against the Stoke's and Fulham's of this world but, with what is esentially the season's fourth and fifth choice forward line, this side aren't really likely to give a team like Liverpool much in the way of sleepless nights.

As often happens too, the day the paucity of your attack is revealed is the same day the defence goes AWOL - underlined here by Gerrard brilliantly losing his marker Kovac and sprinting clear to round Green and slot home while some fans were still trying to negotiate their way back with the drinks.

To be fair to the Hammers, there was some spirited home play following the goal but no real threat, meaning the awarding of a penalty to the visitor's in the 38th minute, brought about the virtual end of the game. The spot kick was awarded when Boa Morte tugged at Torres' shirt and, while there was no doubting the decision, the rueful smile of the onlooking Zola was probably the ex-Chelsea man thinking that, if such decisions are given all the time, then his old club should probably have beaten Barcelona 5-1 in mid-week.

Even then the Gerrard sign on West Ham continued; Rob Green superbly dived to his right to palm out the England midfielders spot kick but the ball squirmed across the area while a melee of players rushed in to either clear or score. Too late! A green shirt got to the ball first to tap in and it is..... Gerrard? How the hell does this man manage to look like he plays in five different shirts?

It looked all over even at that stage and that fact was pretty much cemented in when Di Michele pounced on a defensive mistake to race clear just before half time. The Hammer's striker looked as if he would surely round Reina and slot the ball into an empty net when he suddenly did an impression of a cat on wet lino, legs splayed like Devon Loch, A over T he tumbled, claiming a penalty so he didn't appear to be the idiot he actually looked. Referee Wiley rightly booked him for claiming a foul that patently wasn't, although he should also consult the FA to see if some form of medal can be struck to celebrate the biggest on-field laugh of the season. If you're a Hammers fan it was time to drop down as the laughter rained down from all the Liverpool supporters from Essex and other areas surrounding the Mersey.

The second half was pretty much all Liverpool with West Ham looking vunerable at every stage and offering little up front. Fourth choice striker Freddie Sears offered little when he came on for the hapless Di Michele and once again £9m Savio wasn't called into use. If West Ham miss out in the Euro chase - and games like this suggest it may not be a bad thing - the failure to spend the Bellamy money on an instant successor will surely be one of the season's - few, admittedly - damning points.

Babel's goal five minutes from time just put the seal on a win that had looked likely from Gerrad's goal in the first minute and West Ham's poor record against Liverpool continues. Even so, disappointing though this is, you have to take your hat off to Steven Gerrard - a great player who I'd appreciate even more if he just stopped playing against West Ham!