West Ham's starting XI at Hillsborough this afternoon featured just ONE player with more than 25 first team starts under their belt.
Jack Collison, with 57 appearances is the only one of Sam Allardyce's starting XI in today's game - which West Ham evenually lost 1-0 to a late Chris O'Grady goal - with more than 25 first team starts under his belt.Further, SIX players had made less than ten starts before this afternoon's game - whilst the remaining four have started between just 10 and 25 games in claret and blue.
Covenrsely, amongst those dropped Rob Green (217 first team appearances), Carlton Cole (129), Mark Noble (170) and James Tomkins (92) all have invaluable experience - yet not one was considered for today's fixture, defeat in which meant that West Ham fell at the first hurdle in both cup competitions for the first time since the 1998/99 season during Harry Redknapp's tenure.
West Ham Utd v Sheffield Wednesday: first team starts
Jack Collison 57; Freddie Sears 25; Winston Reid 23; George McCartney 21 (current spell); Joey O'Brien 17; Sam Baldock 10; Gary O'Neil 9; Henri Lansbury 7; Danny Potts 4; John Carew 9; Ruud Boffin 2.
Subs: Frank Nouble 6; Robert Hall 0; Brian Montenegro 0.
As bad as: 1998/99
Worthington Cup Second Round: Northampton 0-2 (a, First Leg), 1-0 (h, Second Leg) - WHU lost 1-2 on aggregate.
FA Cup Third Round: Swansea (h) 1-1, Replay (a) 0-1.
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