West Ham have been here before. Memories of their previous relegation battles came flooding back when they got swept aside by Liverpool at Anfield.The difference this time is looking around their squad and finding a lack of character, despite the fact spine of their team is in contention for England's World Cup squad.
Heading into the summer as Premier League players is the first objective for Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole. But the prospect of being Championship players is now a real possibility.
It happened to Jermain Defoe and Michael Carrick when the Hammers dropped a division eight years ago, while Joe Cole earned a move to Chelsea in the aftermath of relegation as they finished in the bottom three despite the efforts of Paolo Di Canio.
The parallels between now and 2003 are apparent for Hammers fans, starting with a young manager who most football fans wanted to see succeed. In Glenn Roeder's case, he had suffered a brain tumour and there was the feeling his players were fighting for their manager as he recovered.
They so nearly pulled off a famous escape, beating Middlesbrough, Manchester City and Chelsea before a draw at Birmingham sent them down on the final day of the season with 42 points. Even if Gianfranco Zola's men win their last three matches, they will be short of that total.
Zola is another manager that neutrals want to see do well. After his playing career mesmerising defenders and dazzling crowds, there is still plenty of goodwill towards the Italian and he has received sympathy when the club's new owners have been outspoken this season.
But his players have let him down badly. Green, Upson, Parker and Cole should provide the spine of a decent Premier League team, rather than one banking on performances at home against Wigan and Manchester City. They must also be hoping Fulham are concentrating on the Europa League in their remaining away fixture.
At least their destiny is in their own hands. In 2007 they looked relegated by this stage of the season, although they had Carlos Tevez inspiring them to safety. There were also key roles for Green and Mark Noble, while Bobby Zamora was the unsung hero.
This time around they desperately need their senior players to pull them through. Parker's return from suspension will be a huge boost for Zola; now he just needs a final push from the rest of his players too.
