The weather was lovely on Saturday and the Holmesdale display was stunning- and that's where the day’s good vibes begin and end.

I don’t like to do it, but I do have to give credit to Big Sam’s West Ham.

While Crystal Palace were lacklustre, spineless and blunt, Mauro Zárate, Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyaté were brilliant.

Central defenders James Tomkins and Winston Reid were measured and assured, easily nullifying our repetitive long balls up from defence in the vague direction of Fraizer Campbell and Marouane Chamakh.

Don’t let that praise for the Hammers take away from just how rubbish we were.

All three goals conceded by the Eagles, including the hope-crusher by Carlton Cole, involved amateur defensive sloppiness.

For some reason little Barry Bannan was left alone to cope with Ricardo Vaz Tê and Noble as they took a short corner.

They exchanged not one, not two, but FOUR passes before Noble’s deflected shot fell to Zarate for the exceptionally hit opening goal.

It was a great finish, but also an opportunity that should have been snuffed out.

I'm sure Bannan even glanced over his shoulder at one point, in disbelief that the rest of the team were leaving it all to him.

That sort of awful organisation summed up the Palace performance.

Your Local Guardian:

Killer: Palace heads drop after the Hammers third goal on Saturday

Stuart O'Keefe was sadly out of his depth, chaotic and repeatedly to blame for losing possession and committing needless fouls.

Some more cynical fans might say that makes him a perfect replacement for KG, but really it highlighted how much we missed the composure and control offered by Joe Ledley, especially in a game where Noble pulled the strings from midfield, unchallenged.

Mile Jedinak tried to do the work of two or three players on his own, but a lack of understanding with Brede Hangeland exposed the pair, both making clumsy errors and coming for the same headers.

Even the usually boisterous Selhurst Park was stunned into silence for much of the second half.

The defeat dispels the idea that Tony Pulis left such an organised side that the defensive rigidity would remain without his touchline presence, instructions and tactical nous.

A lot of miracles need to be performed, once again, for this West Ham result to be like our watershed 4-1 home loss to Fulham last season.

That embarrassment meant Ian Holloway left, Keith Millen took over, then Pulis joined, and things ended well.

At the moment it looks like this horrendous defeat is going to be the tip of the iceberg in a very uncomfortable season, rather than a turning point.

Although so much hangs on our impending managerial decision – and what we do with the rapidly closing transfer window.