There have been some bad moments during Manchester United’s dismal decline since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure. Against such stiff competition, perhaps a 2-0 defeat at West Ham does not stand out as a particularly low point. But there was something about it – so routine, so predictable – that will leave supporters bereft nevertheless.

West Ham were good. But not that good. They didn’t need to be. Even a middling performance from Manuel Pellegrini’s men was enough to see off this Manchester United. By the end, it was Ole football, every pass greeted by a roar from the home support. But for the visiting fans, it is Ole’s football that will have been troubling them on the journey home.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side could have moved to third in the Premier League table with a win – behind only Liverpool and Manchester City. But even the Manchester United manager knows that the gulf between the top two and what his team are producing is vast. What this insipid defeat hammered home is that United are probably not even the best of the rest.