Reporting on last years match between these two sides I had some idiots email me to tell me that I was being 'disrespectful' to Manchester United so I'll try and be as reverent as possible here and say that, although shorn of defenders and with crippling injuries that would seriously affect most sides, the Champions were still far too good for a similarly stricken Hammers side. OK that good enough for you?

Now, on to West Ham...

The fact is over 24 hours later I'm still not sure what to make of this defeat. A four goal thrashing at home is unacceptable in anyone's book but the Hammers have lost the spine of their team with Upson and Cole out injured - Green was even substituted in this game as he was vomiting in the goalmouth - and, even though we have a reasonable record against the mob from Old Trafford, this was always going to be an uphill struggle.

Zola seemed unsure whether to attack the visitors weakened defence or protect his own and ended up falling between two stools; keeping United at bay in an even first half that looked goal-less until a Paul Scholes rocket seared past Green in injury time to set the home side back at just the moment they least needed it.

It seemed the goal preyed on the mind of the fragile West Ham side who simply collapsed in the second half, going further behind to another brilliant strike from Darren Gibson and then simply capitulating as Valencia and Rooney walked in two further goals to make it 0-4 with another 20 minutes to play. Fortunately, the big Red Machine decided to take some time out for a bit of oiling and the thrashing failed to turn into something even worse.

It seems likely that, had Cole been fit, the Hammers may have made more of a makeshift ManU defence that featured what Alex Ferguson described as the 'smallest Centre-half in the World' but it's hard to see how even Upson could have stopped the darting runs of Ryan Giggs and the excellent Scholes. The fact that the ex-England midfielder was talking about retiring because of his 'poor form' yet can dominate a match such as this just shows the gulf between the two sides. But therein lies the rub.

As I never tire of saying, the Premiership is made up of two leagues and I doubt any of the clubs in the bottom half will take much more than West Ham did from any game with Ferguson's team this season. They may escape with less than a pasting and they may show some fight and guile as they go down - but go down they probably will and the end result will be the same.

I would prefer Gianfranco to smile a little less after these defeats - he's a novice manager I know, but he still needs to show the fans that it hurts - and I'm still not sure that he and Clarke are making the best out of a bad situation (It must surely be time to try Spector in the centre of defence where Gabbidon looks shot) but the games that are really going to count will be those against Hull, Birmingham, Wolves and Portsmouth with the January transfer window looking vital in terms of getting the back four sorted out.

I'd like to just put a line under this and move on but, unfortunately, with Chelsea coming up before Christmas, it looks as if the Hammers boss can expect some more stick from a section of the Upton Park faithfull. It promises to be a tricky festive period.