Less a match report - I've neither the money nor the wherewithal to travel to Bolton in mid-week currently - more a match moan.

I don't know why I let Carling Cup defeats like this get to me - God knows I should be used to them by now - but they always do. I said before the season began that I always think this competition is a way for a club like West Ham to bring some silverware back to the boardroom. Working on the premise that we are a mid-table club then, if we put out a decent side and play to our potential, then we should only be concerned about the clubs above us and when most of them send kids out until the final is it really asking too much to get further than the 3rd round occasionally?

I'm not concerned that we were four minutes away from victory in this match after Ilunga put the Hammers ahead on the hour mark, it was inevitable that Kevin Davies would score against us - this man has scored about 50 goals for Bolton and 43 of them have been against West Ham (for those of you not from these shores, please don't email me to tell me this is not true; it is simply an example of irrepressible cockney gallows humour). Davies' leveller was an inevitable as Judith Chalmers having a passport and, so I hear, was fully deserved anyway.

No, what concerned me more was that, once again, the Hammers seemed to lose puff during the extra time period when Bolton put the match way beyond them and, generally, that when it's time to put up and fight for something we simply fade away. I suppose the fact that we went out to another Premiership team softens the blow somewhat but I expect to get a result at somewhere like the Reebok and this is a major disappointment.

It also needs to be pointed out that the Hammer's early season form is now showing worrying signs of increasing struggle. So, it's the frightening prospect of an upcoming fixture against new Wonderkids Manchester City and the chill of autumn already heralding another season of cup disappointment. Just a thought but, being as we love to chuck good money after bad, couldn't Gianfranco buy Davies? It would ensure us of at least six points a season...