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Such has been the clamour to replace 'calamity' keeper Roberto Jiminez Gago from the West Ham United starting line up, or even the match day squad entirely, that all sorts of alternatives have been mooted. Matches against high flying Chelsea and Wolves await who ever is between the sticks, their job made just that bit harder due to the fact that Hammers best defender, Issa Diop, is suspended following the yellow card he unfairly received for a supposed foul on Tottenham's Harry Kane.

No one at the club envisaged a situation like this, Lukasz Fabianski, last season's Hammer of the Year and the Barclays Premier League's best goal keeper, didn't miss a game all last season, but the hip injury he sustained, almost undoubtedly because of having to clear the ball long so many times, required full surgery which will end up keeping him out of the team until the New Year.

It doesn't take a genius to say that Roberto, Fabianski's number 2, has had a torrid time, during which the club have conceded an average of three goals per game. He looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights as a result and now spreads fear and anxiety to his defenders and throughout the entire team. Training practice keeper David Martin is an option, however he was only ever signed as 'cannon fodder' for the strikers to fire at, throwing him in against Chelsea could be catastrophic, so what other options are there?

Attempts to sign an out of contract keeper have failed because the club have to sign a British player due to the squad limits, although emergency dispensation can sometimes be granted, but that is usually to cover for injuries, not loss of form (if Roberto ever had any). Extremely promising keeper Nathan Trott is currently getting well grounded experience playing for AFC Wimbledon and is not available until January, about the time Fabianski is due to return, so there would be little point in disrupting his 'education'.

The only other option is to use highly rated West Ham's U-23 team keeper Joseph Anang, the 19 year old also plays for the successful England U-20 team, and was intriguingly omitted from the team that beat Brighton 3-1. He wasn't injured, but wasn't even in the match day squad. It may be a last throw of the dice, but could Anang possibly be worse than Roberto? Definitely not, most fans who have witnessed Roberto's antics would rather bring Robert Green back!

So, Anang it is then, a word of caution though, a broken leg sustained by Shaka Hislop meant a debut for the then England U 21 keeper Stephen Bywater at the age of 19 against Bradford City in February 2000, a baptism of fire that saw Bradford score four times but which West Ham eventually won 5–4! The promising Bywater was scarred by the experience , and only appeared in the final three games of the 1999–00 season, against Arsenal, Sunderland and Leeds United and made a single appearance in the following season against Bradford in February 2001. He did return to play in the 2005 play off final, but he spent most of his time out on loan at various clubs, he was supposed to be England's next keeper but eventually found himself well down the pecking order, partly because of a hand and wrist injury sustained around the time he was up for selection to the main squad.

In a way Stephen might have had the last laugh, because he still playing now at the age of 38, in goal for Burton Albion. In his long career he has made appearances for thirteen clubs in addition to West Ham, most notably for Derby County, where he made over 150 appearances. Touchingly, Bywater has worn the number 43 shirt in memory of his mentor and coach at West Ham United, Les Sealey, who died aged 43 in 2001, Stephen believes Les is still guiding his way in football.

It took Bywater years to recover his form properly, does anyone wish that on Joseph Anang? - Ed

As the managerial tumbrel awaits collecting it's next victim, all the talk is not if, but when, Manuel Pellegrini's tenure at the London Stadium will come to an end, and more intriguingly who will replace him? Chris Hughton is currently the flavour of the day, but West Ham United covet Eddie Howe, Rafa Benitez and Sean Dyche are the other names in the frame but realistically aren't going to happen.

Word is that Pellegrini will be given until January to turn things round, that time frame allows him just one or two games where he can call upon the services of much missed goal keeper Lucasz Fabianski, instead of the calamitous Roberto Gago! It is assumed that some form of planning will already have been put in to motion regarding Pellegrini's replacement, but is the managerial role at the London Stadium such an attractive proposition that someone like Eddie Howe would want to uproot and join the 'madness' of the two Davids and the Baroness?

Howe has spent much of the last 25 years on the South Coast, including spells at Portsmouth as well as Bournemouth, he seems very content not only with his club, but also with the environment where he lives, which is rather splendid, anyone who knows the area will agree. Why swap all that for the Dome of misery and all it's baggage? Howe would have to be offered an incredibly attractive package to leave the Cherries, which quite frankly West Ham can't or won't afford.

Out of the other contenders Rafa Benitez would prefer to make a move to Everton once Marco Silva is given the heave ho, he still owns a house on the Wirral and so Mersyside seems his most likely destination. Chris Hughton has been out of work since being sacked by Brighton and is available, cheaply! This fact may make his appointment attractive to the Hammers hierarchy, but is he really the man to take the club forward, nice enough fellow that he is?

That leaves 'old gravel voice' himself, Sean Dyche, as a possible option, although the compensation package Burnley would demand would probably be prohibitive. If compensation has to be paid, surely Howe should be the target! - Ed

Manuel Pellegrini is a very experienced manager, and as such he must clearly see the writing on the wall regarding his tenure at West Ham United, the 66 year old Chilean has joined Unai Emery, Quique Sánchez Flores, Ralph Hasenhüttl and Marco Silva on the list of who will get the sack next. In a week that also saw the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino from Tottenham, despite taking them to the Champion's League final last season, Pellegrini would do well to consider his options.

Pellegrini's position at the London Stadium is becoming increasingly untenable, the only element keeping him in his job is the substantial compensation that he and his staff would have to be paid in order to terminate the remaining year and a half of their contracts. Although the compensation factor is keeping the incumbent manager and his staff in place at the moment it hasn't stopped the Hammers hierarchy from using their 3rd party owned website to 'sound out' potential replacements!

Sean Dyche is the latest 'candidate' to join Rafa Benitez and Eddie Howe, with even the deluded having written off any attempt at luring Pochettino from across London. The facts are any manager worth his salt will already be in situ at their clubs and would therefore require compensation to be paid, allied to the exit payments to Pellegrini and his staff the amount required is far in excess of what the two Davids and the Baroness are willing, or able, to pay.

It would be churlish to asses Saturday's inept performance as terminal, there was always going to be a 'bounce' at Tottenham given the managerial change, but the next few fixtures offer up little hope of salvation and unless he can turn things round the club will have no other option other than to bite the bullet and get rid of Pellegrini irrespective of the cost.

The board are probably hoping that Pellegrini, being a proud man, will 'walk' if there isn't an upturn in results, which may be their only realistic hope, because any money used for pay offs will come directly from the transfer that will be required to lure a new manager to a role that is definitely a poisoned chalice! - Ed